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
'I just can't believe that it took so long': Body found in wreckage 3 months after deadly fire
A man accused of arson in a January Old Strathcona apartment fire is expected to be charged with manslaughter after a body was discovered in the burned building late last month.
No proof man lied to brother about number of kittens born in litter, B.C. tribunal rules
A man was denied a $5,000 payout from his brother after a B.C. tribunal dismissed his claim disputing how many kittens were born in a litter.
Quebec police hand out hundreds of tickets to Hells Angels and other bikers before 'first run' meeting
Quebec provincial police handed out hundreds of fines to Hells Angels members and other supporting motorcycle clubs who met for their 'first run' in a small town near Sherbrooke, Que.
Feds hope to table foreign interference legislation next week: LeBlanc
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc says he plans to table legislation this week to help the federal government address foreign interference, but he wouldn't say whether the proposal will include a foreign agent registry.
Auston Matthews skates ahead of Game 7, status unclear with season on the line
Centre Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs hasn't been ruled out of tonight's Game 7 against the Boston Bruins.
Snakes almost on a plane: U.S. TSA discovers a bag with small snakes in passenger's pants
According to an X post by the Transportation Security Administration, officers at the Miami International Airport found the small bag of snakes hidden in a passenger's trousers on April 26 at a checkpoint.
A Chinese driver is praised for helping reduce casualties in a highway collapse that killed 48
A Chinese truck driver was praised in local media Saturday for parking his vehicle across a highway and preventing more cars from tumbling down a slope after a section of the road in the country's mountainous south collapsed and killed at least 48 people.
Russia puts Ukrainian President Zelenskyy on its wanted list
Russia has put Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on its wanted list, Russian state media reported Saturday, citing the interior ministry’s database.
Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.