What we know so far about accused murderer Joseph George Sutherland
Nearly 40 years after Joseph George Sutherland allegedly killed two women in Toronto, the now 61-year-old has been arrested.
Toronto police announced Monday they linked Sutherland’s DNA to the deaths of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice, who were killed inside their respective homes in downtown Toronto in 1983.
Police said the person allegedly responsible remained on the loose for nearly 40 years, until last Thursday when Sutherland was taken into custody by the Ontario Provincial Police.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Here’s what we know about Sutherland so far.
Sutherland was living in Toronto at the time of the murders, but police did not say if Sutherland had a connection with his alleged victims.
Police said he was not a suspect, or person of interest, at the time of the murders. He was never questioned by police while he was living in Toronto.
An image of Joseph George Sutherland. (Facebook/Joseph G. Sutherland)
At the time of his arrest, Sutherland was living in Moosonee, Ont. Moosonee is a small northern town nearby James Bay, which is the southernmost tip of Hudson Bay, and is roughly 850 kilometres north of Toronto.
Det. Sgt. Stephen Smith, the lead investigator on the case, said Monday morning Sutherland moved throughout the province during the last 39 years, but did not specify where else he lived.
Smith said there were “no issues” taking Sutherland into custody, adding “when you commit these crimes, you're just waiting for that knock to come at the door.”
Smith confirmed Sutherland does have a family and an extended family – who are all living in northern Ontario as well – but he would not provide details as to who exactly they are.
Sutherland was arrested after police said they used genetic genealogy technology from U.S.-based company Othram Inc., a private lab who said it “helps investigators break through previously impenetrable forensic DNA barriers and close previously unsolvable cases.”
“It’s a snip test – a single nucleotide polymorphism – so that allows us to use the genes between the genes to have familial connectivity, and we’re able to use that to utilize people that have uploaded their DNA to Family Tree DNA,” Smith said.
Another image of Joseph George Sutherland. (Facebook/Joseph George Sutherland)
Investigators were eventually led to Sutherland and served him with a DNA warrant. They said tests came back as a match to what was found at the murder scenes decades ago.
Police said without this technology, they would have never come across Sutherland’s name.
Smith said because Sutherland has been living in Ontario for 39 years since the murders, investigators are going to look into “every possible connection” to any other cold case.
He said this case was likely the “most complex” work he’s done in 25 years working for Toronto police.
Smith said Sutherland does have family and an extended family living in northern Ontario – but he would not provide details as to who exactly they are.
Sutherland has been charged with two counts of first degree murder and is expected to appear in court at Old City Hall on Dec. 9 at 2 p.m.
With files from CTV News Toronto’s Phil Tsekouras
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction overturned by N.Y. appeals court
New York's highest court on Thursday overturned Harvey Weinstein's 2020 rape conviction, reversing a landmark ruling of the #MeToo era in determining the trial judge improperly allowed women to testify about allegations against the ex-movie mogul that weren't part of the case.
BREAKING Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that is banned at Queen’s Park.
CTE: Researchers believe widespread brain injury may contribute to veteran suicide rate
Researchers are working to better understand if some Canadian military veterans may be suffering from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, also known as CTE -- a disorder previously found in the brains of professional football and hockey players after their death.
1 arrested in northern Alberta during public shelter order
Residents of John D'Or Prairie, a community on the Little Red River Cree Nation in northern Alberta, were told to take shelter Thursday morning during a police operation.
Secret $70M Lotto Max winners break their silence
During a special winner celebration near their hometown, Doug and Enid shared the story of how they discovered they were holding a Lotto Max ticket worth $70 million and how they kept this huge secret for so long.
Remains from a mother-daughter cold case were found nearly 24 years later, after a deathbed confession from the suspect
A West Virginia father is getting some sense of closure after authorities found the remains of his young daughter and her mother following a deathbed confession from the man believed to have fatally shot them nearly two decades ago.
New deep-water channel allows first ship to pass Key bridge wreckage in Baltimore
The first cargo ship passed through a newly opened deep-water channel in Baltimore on Thursday after being stuck in the harbor since the Francis Scott Key Bridge collapsed four weeks ago, halting most maritime traffic through the city's port.
First in Canada procedure performed at London, Ont. hospital
A London man has become the first person in Canada to receive a robotic assisted surgery on his spine. Dave Myeh suffered from debilitating, chronic back pain that led to sciatica in his right now and extreme pain in his lower back.