About 25 years after a pregnant woman was found strangled to death in a Toronto parking lot, authorities have arrested and charged a suspect.
In a Feb. 7 press release announcing the arrest of 50-year-old Ronald Ackerman in connection with the 1998 death of 24-year-old Donna Oglive, the Toronto Police Service said investigators identified a suspect through genetic genealogy testing, with the help of calls with information that came with the police department’s podcast highlighting cold cases.
“Advances in forensic technology along with the unwavering dedication of our team and investigative partners have led us to this arrest,” Detective Sergeant Stephen Smith said at a Feb. 7 news conference, per the release.
“Our thoughts remain with Donna’s family and friends who have endured decades of grief and unanswered questions,” Smith added. “No matter how much time passes, we do not give up on victims of homicide.”
Oglive, a sex worker and British Columbia resident, was found strangled to death in a parking lot on the morning of March 8, 1998, according to police. Investigators said Oglive was a native of the Philippines and had been in the city for five weeks before her killing. Authorities also noted she was four months pregnant at the time of her death.
Investigators developed a man’s DNA profile using evidence taken from the scene, but no match was found, and the case went cold.
“Genealogists began tracking the DNA in 2022, leading to Ackerman’s family,” the release states. “Investigators were able to gather a sample and make a match last year.”
Years before this breakthrough, a YouTube video was released calling for information, and in October 2021, the case was featured in 24 Shades of Blue, a Toronto Police Service podcast highlighting unsolved murders.
On Feb. 6, Ackerman, of Gander, Newfoundland, was arrested at Pearson International Airport, according to police. Police said Ackerman was living in nearby Scarborough and working as a truck driver at the time of Oglive’s killing.
Ackerman is charged with first-degree murder and it’s unclear if he has entered a plea or retained an attorney to speak on his behalf.
“We need to find out what he’s been doing over the past 25 years to make sure that there are no other victims, whether sexually motivated or homicides that he could be involved in,” Smith said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact homicide investigators at 416-808-7400, or report to Crime Stoppers anonymously at 416-222-TIPS (8477), or online at 222tips.com.