It’s been over half a century since the York Regional Police Department responded to the middle of 16th Side Road, between Jane and Keele streets, in King Township, where they found the body of Yvonne Leroux. Since then, authorities had exhausted all leads and had been hitting a wall in their investigation of the cold case murder.
According to Global News, the 16-year-old teenager was last seen during the late hours of Nov. 29, 1972, as she walked along Oakdale Road and Finch Avenue West in Toronto. At the time, autopsy reports had shown the victim had suffered blunt force trauma to her head.
In 2022, investigators utilized Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG), an advanced DNA technology that involves taking a suspect’s DNA and comparing it with family members who had voluntarily submitted their DNA in depositories across the country. As a result, investigators created a DNA profile from well-preserved biological evidence found at the crime scene. The effort led to the identification of Bruce Charles Cantelon.
At the time of the murder, Cantelon was a 26-year-old repeat violent offender against women who lived in the same neighborhood. He was a known entity to authorities as an individual with mental health issues. However, investigators discovered Cantelon died by suicide 19 months after Leroux’s murder.
"The case has remained a focus of attention in family gatherings and beyond, and has brought experiences we would not wish on anyone. Unfortunately, this news came late, as many of our family members have recently passed. For over half a century, our family has wondered. Getting some answers will never change what happened, or bring her back," said Leroux’s family members in a statement, reported CBC Lite.
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