Toronto Police have made a breakthrough in a 26-year-old cold case, arresting a man at Toronto Pearson Airport in connection with the 1998 murder of 24-year-old Donna Oglive.
Ronald Gordon Ackerman, 50, of Gander, Newfoundland, was taken into custody on Thursday as he disembarked from a plane at Pearson Airport. He has been charged with first-degree murder in Oglive’s strangulation death, which occurred on March 8, 1998, in a rear parking lot on Carlton Street near the former Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto.
Oglive, a resident of British Columbia, had been in Toronto for five weeks when she was murdered. Despite extensive investigations, no immediate suspects were identified at the time. However, advances in forensic technology and genetic genealogy eventually led police to a suspect in Newfoundland.
At a Friday morning news conference, Det.-Sgt. Steve Smith, from the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit, Cold Case Section, highlighted the unwavering commitment of law enforcement in solving the case.
“For 26 years, investigators have remained committed to seeking justice for Donna and her loved ones. Advances in forensic technology, along with the dedication of our team and investigative partners, have led us to this arrest.”
“Our thoughts remain with Donna’s family and friends, who have endured decades of grief and unanswered questions. No matter how much time passes, we do not give up on victims of homicide.”
Authorities had developed a male DNA profile from the crime scene in 1998, but no match was found at the time. In December 2019, police released a YouTube video seeking information, followed by an October 2021 podcast featuring the case.
In 2022, investigators turned to genetic genealogy, a cutting-edge forensic technique that ultimately led them to the suspect in Gander, Newfoundland.
Ackerman appeared via video link at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre on Thursday and has been remanded in custody.
With this arrest, Toronto Police reaffirm their commitment to solving cold cases and ensuring that justice is served, no matter how much time has passed.