Saskatoon authorities announce the resolution of a century-old enigma concerning the unidentified human remains found in a well shaft within the Sutherland district back in 2006. The long-puzzled mystery has finally been unraveled, unveiling the identity of the deceased as Alice Spence (nee Burke), an Irish descendant aged around 35 at the time of her demise.
Investigators suggest that Alice, a resident of the former Sutherland town, met a tragic fate due to foul play during the period of 1916 to 1918. Cindy Camp, Alice’s great-granddaughter residing in Sherwood Park, Alberta, expressed astonishment upon learning the truth about her ancestor. The revelation came through a DNA inquiry initiated by the Toronto police, catching the family off guard.
Camp shared that her grandmother, Idella, was orphaned at 17 and never disclosed details about her mother, Alice. Reflecting on the emotional journey of discovery, Camp expressed gratitude to the dedicated individuals who relentlessly pursued the identification of the long-anonymous ‘woman in the well.’
The cold case lingered for nearly two decades until a breakthrough in genetic science provided a new lead. Collaborating with Toronto police’s investigative genetic genealogy unit, Saskatoon authorities traced potential relatives and reconstructed a family lineage. Othram, a forensic genetic genealogy firm, located five genetic relatives spread across Alberta, the U.S., and Ireland.
Alice resided mere blocks away from the well, having relocated to Sutherland in 1913 from St. Louis, Minnesota, with her spouse Charles and their daughter Idella. Police observations indicate signs of assault on Alice’s body before the tragic event.
Despite affirming Alice’s murder and placement in the barrel, the identity of the perpetrator remains a mystery. Saskatoon police, having identified a suspect who is believed to be deceased, have concluded the case, ruling out further investigative pursuits for justice.
Alice’s remains were interred at Woodlawn Cemetery in 2009, with plans underway by Camp’s family to erect a headstone bearing Alice’s name and birth date at the gravesite. The announcement shared biographical insights into Alice’s life history, chronicling her birth in 1881 in Michigan, subsequent moves to Duluth, Minnesota, her marriage to Charles, and the family’s life events leading up to the tragic incident.
With this resolution, the authorities consider this case as one of Canada’s oldest investigations solved through the aid of investigative genetic genealogy, shedding light on an enduring mystery.
