NEWS

Cops seek info in midtown cold case murder

SEARCH RENEWED: Toronto Police have created a DNA profile of the killer of 80-year-old Margaret McDonald, who was found dead in her midtown home 22 years ago.
SEARCH RENEWED: Toronto Police have created a DNA profile of the killer of 80-year-old Margaret McDonald, who was found dead in her midtown home 22 years ago.

Police are looking for new leads in the hopes of identifying a suspect in the “brutal and sadistic” murder of a midtown senior 22 years ago.

Margaret McDonald was 80 years old when her granddaughter found her dead in her home at 36 Lascelles Blvd. on June 24, 1994. She had been bludgeoned, her throat had been slashed and she had been sexually assaulted, police said in a recent Youtube appeal.

The killer also ransacked the home, taking several valuable items. Police believe the man broke in during the afternoon. Despite fingerprints and DNA found at the scene, police at the time were unable to find a suspect and the case went cold.

Now, police say recent advances have led to additional DNA testing that has determined a rough outline of the killer’s identity. He is described as likely to have been between 20 and 30 years of age at the time, of European ancestry, and having blue- or intermediate-coloured eyes as well as dark hair.

Police also believe the killer lived in or near the midtown area where McDonald was killed. The man would be between 40 and 50 years old now.

Police are hoping the renewed call triggers some people’s memories. A $50,000 reward is offered for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer.