Identity Confirmed Through Facial Restoration and DNA Comparison Technology
Suspect is an 81-Year-Old American Male, Extradition Requested
The perpetrator of an unsolved murder case in Canada was caught after 48 years thanks to DNA technology.
On the 4th (local time), according to CBC and other broadcasts, the Ontario Police recently identified the victim and the murderer of a female body found in the National River near Highway 417 close to Ottawa in May 1975.
The facial reconstruction model of Jewel Patchman Langford, who was murdered 48 years ago, and the police [Photo by CBC]
The police reopened the investigation of the cold case in 2017 and reconstructed the face using a 3D model. In 2019, they requested DNA analysis from a specialized agency and succeeded in identifying the victim.
The woman was Jewel Patchman Langford (aged 48 at the time), a businesswoman who ran a health club with her husband in Tennessee, USA, and was staying in Montreal at the time of the incident.
The police identified Rodney Nichols, also an American residing in Montreal, as the suspect. He was a famous rugby player active in Montreal, and the two were acquaintances at the time.
Currently 81 years old, Nichols lives in Florida, USA, and the police are proceeding with extradition procedures to Canada on murder charges.
The Unsolved 'National River Lady' Murder Case
The police found Langford's body in the National River in Ontario, far from Montreal, on May 3, 1975, shortly after she went missing. However, the technology at the time could not identify her.
At the time of discovery, the body was tied at the hands and feet with a necktie and wrapped in cloth and towels. The perpetrator is believed to have thrown the body from a bridge over the highway into the river. The police stated that bloodstains were found around the scene.
At that time, the police and media referred to the unidentified woman as the 'National River Lady.'
About 40 years later, the police requested a specialized DNA analysis agency for cold cases and confirmed her identity the following year. This agency is known to use a technique that uploads DNA to a database and compares it with genealogical network information contained in the database to track the individual.
Meanwhile, Langford's mother searched tirelessly for her daughter for many years but eventually passed away. Langford's remains have been transferred from Canada to her hometown of Jackson, Tennessee, USA, and buried in a local cemetery. According to CBC, the tombstone is inscribed with "Rest now in your hometown."
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