Post by HeadMarshal on May 6, 2016 7:14:49 GMT -5
(WINDSOR, ON) – The Windsor Police have updated the cold case concerning the 1971 murder of 6 year-old Ljubica Topic. In the past year, police received numerous tips after an appeal to the public was made in April 2015. Officers actively investigated the leads and have cleared more than 20 persons.
Investigators have received assistance from Parabon Nanolabs in Virginia, which specializes in DNA phenotyping. The process of phenotyping predicts a person’s physical appearance and ancestry through the use of unidentified DNA evidence.
On May 15, 1971, at 1:00 am, the body of 6 year-old Ljubica Topic discovered by police in the rear yard of 1690 Hickory Road, a short distance from the gate to the rear alleyway (the alleyway no longer exists today). At the time, the suspect was described as a white male, 6’ tall, with a thin build, and possibly in his early 20s. He was wearing dark clothing.
Through the use of DNA evidence subsequently collected from the Topic murder, the phenotyping process has predicted that a person of interest in the case can be described as having fair skin or very fair skin (an 89.2% confidence), has brown or hazel eyes (97%), has brown or black hair (96.6%), and zero or few freckling (93%).
The person of interest’s ancestry is almost entirely European, primarily from the north-western region of Europe, including England, Holland, Ireland, and Scotland.
Using the predicted features and a prediction of the person of interest’s face shape, a composite image was produced along the lines of what the suspect may have looked like at 25 years old and what they may look like today, around 70 years of age.
Windsor Police advise that the composites are scientific approximations of the person of interest’s appearance, based on his DNA, and are not likely to be exact replicas of his appearance. There are other factors, such as smoking, drinking, diet, body mass index, facial hair, and hairstyle, that aren’t predicted by phenotyping.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Windsor Police Major Crime Branch at 519-255-6700 x4830.
Moderator Note: If you have any news-related updates on this case, please contact us here: amwfans.com/thread/1662/website-contact-form
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Thoughts? We've seen phenotyping used in a few other cold cases which gives the investigations new hope that the public can help finally solve them. After 45 years, solving the murder of Ljubica Topic will not be easy but her surviving family deserves to have her killer identified. Windsor, Ontario is across the border with Detroit, Michigan so it's possible that the killer could be American as well.
www.windsorsquare.ca/archives/2016/windsor-police-employ-phenotyping-in-topic-cold-case/93119
