Toronto police charge Hamilton man in 2006 cold case murder
Written by The Canadian Press on July 30, 2026
TORONTO — Toronto police have arrested and charged a 43-year-old Hamilton man with first-degree murder in a case dating back two decades.
Police say 21-year-old Patrick Santos’ body was found at a home in the Scarborough area in September 2006.
They say DNA was collected at the scene but there was no match in the national database.
Investigators say they turned to genetic genealogy in 2020, identified a person of interest last year, then collected DNA from the suspect and confirmed a match with the DNA from the scene.
They say 43-year-old Pierre O’Connor was arrested Wednesday and charged with first-degree murder. He was set to appear in court today.
Police believe more than one person may have been involved in Santos’ death and are asking anyone with information to come forward.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 30, 2026.
The Canadian Press