The reopening of the Patrick Santos cold case
Posted Aug 10, 2026 07:43:03 AM.
Last Updated Aug 10, 2026 07:58:43 AM.
It’s taken Toronto Police more than 20 years to charge a suspect in the murder of Patrick Santos, a 21-year-old Scarborough, Ont., man that was found zip-tied and duck taped in his home in 2006.
Investigative genetic genealogy was able to match the DNA sample taken from the crime scene to that of Pierre O’Connor, a Hamilton man who had no previous criminal record.
Host Maria Kestane speaks to Fil Martino, co-host of Tracking a Killer, to dig into the details of the 20-year-old cold case. Then she’s joined by Steen Hartsen, a faculty member of the British Columbia Institute of Technology to learn more about genetic genealogy – including its ethical risks.
Listen to Tracking a Killer here.
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