Police in Ontario are looking for more information to help them solve a historic crime involving a woman who was originally from New Brunswick.
In November 2023, human remains were found during the demolition of a vacant home on Stanley Avenue in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
The Niagara Regional Police Service says it had been vacant for several years, but had been occupied from the 1970’s to around 2018. Following that, it was believed the home was used by unhoused individuals trespassing on the site.
According to a news release, an extensive investigation was conducted, and forensic and anthropological examination determined the remains belonged to an adult female, and had likely been at the property for many years, potentially dating back to the mid-1990s.
In 2025, an advanced forensic technique combining DNA analysis with genealogical research led police to identify the woman as Brenda Marie Leblanc, who was born in 1963. Her death is being investigated as a homicide.
Investigators say Leblanc lived in Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, Ontario during the 1990s when she was in her 30’s, but she was originally from New Brunswick.
Police have not been able to determine yet how she came to the Stanley Avenue property or her connection.
Police believe, even decades later, that someone must have known Brenda or have information that could assist in determining the circumstances surrounding her death.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Niagara Regional Police Services Homicide Unit Hotline at (289) 248-1058.
