Current:Home > NewsBody found floating in Canadian river in 1975 identified as prominent U.S. businesswoman Jewell "Lalla" Langford-Angel Dreamer Wealth Society D1 Reviews & Insights
Body found floating in Canadian river in 1975 identified as prominent U.S. businesswoman Jewell "Lalla" Langford
View Date:2024-12-24 00:47:54
Canadian authorities have identified the victim of one of the country's most notorious cold case murders, nearly five decades after the woman's body was found floating in a river in Ottawa. Known previously as the "Nation River Lady," after the name of the river where her body was discovered in 1975, Ontario Provincial Police confirmed Wednesday that the remains belonged to Jewell "Lalla" Langford, a resident of Tennessee who was 48 years old at the time of her death.
Police described Langford in a news release as "a prominent member of the Jackson, Tennessee business community" who had co-owned a health spa with her ex-husband while she was alive.
"In this respect, she truly was a woman ahead of her time," said Janice Mulcock, a retired detective constable with the Ontario Provincial Police, during a videotaped briefing shared on Facebook Wednesday morning by the police department. "In fact so successful she was the chair and president of the Jackson, Tennessee chapter of the American Businesswomen's Association and in 1971 was voted 'woman of the year' by her colleagues."
Police say Langford had traveled to Montréal in April 1975 and never returned home after that. Her body was found around one month later, on May 3, in the Nation River by a farmer.
According to the DNA Doe Project, she had been strangled with a TV cable and her hands and ankles had been bound with men's neckties.
Despite forensic artist's renderings and a three-dimensional facial approximation created in 2017 to help identify Langford's remains, authorities were unable to move the case forward until 2020, when genome sequencing performed at Toronto's Centre of Forensic Sciences matched a DNA profile of the victim to two other people listed in a family DNA tree. Police said Langford's case is believed to be the first in Canada where human remains were identified using forensic genealogy.
The investigation that followed Langford's identification involved law enforcement agencies across both Canada and the United States, eventually leading to one man's arrest in Hollywood, Florida. The man, 81-year-old Rodney Nichols, was arrested and charged with murder at the Ontario Court of Justice late last year. Police said Nichols and Langford knew each other, without elaborating on their relationship.
"Thanks to advances in genetic genealogy science and the collective commitment of all of the investigators involved, we have brought resolution to the families and friends of this missing person who met with foul play," Detective Inspector Daniel Nadeau said. "We can be satisfied with the results of this investigation and that we were able to return Jewell Langford's remains to her loved ones."
- In:
- Cold Case
- Crime
- Canada
veryGood! (84852)
Related
- Brianna LaPaglia Addresses Zach Bryan's Deafening Silence After Emotional Abuse Allegations
- Federal officials say plan for water cuts from 3 Western states is enough to protect Colorado River
- South Korea, US and Japan condemn North Korea’s alleged supply of munitions to Russia
- 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs: Live stream, new format, game times and dates, odds, how to watch
- Alexandra Daddario shares first postpartum photo of baby: 'Women's bodies are amazing'
- Turbocharged Otis caught forecasters and Mexico off-guard. Scientists aren’t sure why
- DeSantis is sending some weapons to Israel in move that could bolster him in the GOP primary
- Jeep maker Stellantis plans to invest 1.5 billion euros in Chinese EV manufacturer Leapmotor
- Jason Kelce Jokes He Got “Mixed Reviews” From Kylie Kelce Over NSFW Commentary
- Singer Michael Bublé unveils new whiskey brand Fraser & Thompson
Ranking
- Chicago Bears will ruin Caleb Williams if they're not careful | Opinion
- Fire, other ravages jeopardize California’s prized forests
- Active shooter situation in Lewiston, Maine: Police
- Florida orders state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student group, saying it backs Hamas
- Man charged with murder in fatal shooting of 2 workers at Chicago’s Navy Pier
- Singer Michael Bublé unveils new whiskey brand Fraser & Thompson
- Trump called to testify in gag order dispute, fined $10,000 by judge in New York fraud trial
- Victoria's Secret releases collection of adaptive garments for people with disabilities
Recommendation
-
Stock market today: Asian shares meander, tracking Wall Street’s mixed finish as dollar surges
-
Swedish court acquits Russian-born businessman of spying for Moscow
-
I-80 reopened and evacuations lifted after windy brush fire west of Reno near California line
-
Swedish court acquits Russian-born businessman of spying for Moscow
-
About Charles Hanover
-
Florida orders state universities to disband pro-Palestinian student group, saying it backs Hamas
-
Apple's iOS 17.1 update includes new features for AirDrop, StandBy and Apple Music
-
Meet Kendi: See photos of the new baby giraffe just born at the Oakland Zoo