Executive Summary
- Montreal police identified Jacques Bolduc as the killer of Catherine Daviau in a 2008 cold case.
- Investigators used genetic genealogy to link crime scene DNA to Bolduc’s relatives.
- Bolduc, a career criminal, died in prison in 2021 before he could provide a court-ordered DNA sample.
- The suspect was on statutory release at the time of the murder and had a history of violent offenses.
Montreal police have officially closed the investigation into the 2008 murder of Catherine Daviau, identifying deceased career criminal Jacques Bolduc as the perpetrator through the use of genetic genealogy. Commander Mélanie Dupont, head of the Montreal police major crimes division, announced the resolution following the establishment of a dedicated cold-case unit earlier this year. Authorities confirmed that Bolduc, who died in prison in 2021, was linked to the crime scene through DNA evidence analyzed by the provincial crime lab.
Catherine Daviau, 26, was found deceased inside her apartment in the Rosemont—La Petite-Patrie borough on December 11, 2008. According to investigators, firefighters initially responded to a blaze at the location, but police later determined the fire had been set in an attempt to conceal the homicide. Police revealed that Bolduc had contacted Daviau via an online forum regarding a vehicle she had listed for sale shortly before her death.
Jacques Bolduc possessed a violent criminal history dating back to 1979. Corrections records indicate he was on statutory release at the time of Daviau’s murder, having been released from a 34-year aggregate sentence in July 2008. Two days after the murder, Bolduc was arrested for attempted vehicle theft and possession of drugs, leading to the revocation of his release. In 2017, after completing his sentence, Bolduc committed two separate shootings during attempted robberies, critically injuring two victims.
In June 2020, Superior Court Justice France Charbonneau declared Bolduc a dangerous offender and ordered him to serve an indefinite prison term. The court also ordered Bolduc to provide a DNA sample; however, Commander Dupont noted that the collection was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Bolduc died of natural causes at the Archambault Institution in September 2021 before the sample could be collected. Researchers at the Laboratoire de sciences judiciaires et de médecine légale ultimately identified Bolduc in August 2025 by linking DNA found at the Daviau crime scene to Bolduc’s distant relatives using genetic genealogy.
Forensic Investigation Update
The resolution of the Daviau case underscores the evolving role of genetic genealogy in clearing cold cases where traditional forensic methods have stalled. While the suspect avoided prosecution due to his death, the identification provides closure to a decades-old investigation and highlights the capability of law enforcement to utilize familial DNA networks to retroactively solve violent crimes. This case also illustrates the procedural challenges faced by the justice system, where administrative delays in DNA collection can hinder investigations. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
