Police ID woman whose remains were found in Niagara Falls, now a murder investigation
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Police have identified the woman whose remains were found during a home demolition in Niagara Falls, Ont., nearly three years ago and are now treating her death as a homicide.
Brenda Marie LeBlanc’s body had likely been at the property for “many years,” potentially as far back as the 1990s, Niagara police said in a news release on Wednesday.
They said LeBlanc, a New Brunswick native, lived in the Niagara Region in the 1990s, when she was in her 30s.
The remains were found during a demolition in November 2023, but the identity of the deceased was initially unknown.
Last year, investigators were able to identify LeBlanc using genetic genealogy, which combines DNA analysis and family tracing.
“Working in collaboration with the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, and Othram Laboratories in Texas, investigators were able to identify the deceased as Brenda Marie LeBlanc, born in 1963,” Niagara police said.
The vacant property on Stanley Avenue was a multi-unit residence from the 1970s until 2018 and had since been frequently used by people who were homeless, police said.
LeBlanc’s connection to the house remains unknown and police continue to seek information from those who knew her.
“Although decades have passed, investigators believe that there are individuals who may have known Brenda or have information that could assist in determining the circumstances surrounding her death,” police said.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 12, 2026.