Quebec Cold Case Murder Suspect Traced through Y Chromosome Project, Crown Reports
A Quebec prosecutor announced that a man accused of sexually assaulting and murdering a 19-year-old college student almost 24 years ago was located with the assistance of a project that matches DNA with male last names.
Prosecutor Pierre-Alexandre Bernard began laying out his case on January 16th against Marc-André Grenon, who is facing charges of first-degree murder and aggravated sexual assault of Guylaine Potvin.
Guylaine Potvin was discovered deceased in her apartment in Jonquière, Quebec in April 2000, around 215 kilometers north of Quebec City.
Mr. Bernard informed the 14-member jury that even though male DNA was found at the crime scene, it did not match anything in the police database and there were no witnesses to the crime.
He explained that the suspect was apprehended over 20 years later after a project that tracks Y chromosomes, which are passed down from fathers to sons, initially indicated that the DNA could be linked to the last name Grenon.
Mr. Bernard stated that police arrested Mr. Grenon in 2022 after DNA from two discarded drinking straws was found to be a match with the evidence from the crime scene.
Related Stories
Superior Court Justice François Huot is overseeing the trial at the Chicoutimi courthouse, which is anticipated to run for five weeks.
