A Gander man has been charged with first degree murder in connection to a decades’ old homicide investigation in Toronto.
The Toronto Police Service says 24-year-old Donna Oglive was found dead just after 7 a.m. on March 8th, 1998 in a parking lot on Carlton Street.
Oglive was a resident of British Columbia, and had only been in Toronto for about 5 weeks.
It was determined that she had been strangled, with police believing it was the result of a “sex trade transaction.”
Police developed a the DNA profile of a man from evidence at the scene, but no matches were identified.
A genetic genealogy investigation was launched in 2022 with the assistance of a company called OTHRAM Inc.
That investigation led to the identification of 50-year-old Ronald Gordon Ackerman of Gander as a suspect.
After 26 years, breakthroughs in DNA and genetic genealogy have led to the arrest of Ronald Ackerman for the 1998 murder of Donna Oglive. “No matter how much time passes, we do not give up on victims of homicide,” said Det. Sgt. Smith. https://t.co/pvgI9RX5fs pic.twitter.com/6YJ6IXO8vf
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) February 7, 2025
Just after midnight on Thursday, Ackerman was arrested at Toronto Pearson Airport and charged with first degree murder.
Detective Sergeant Steve Smith says Ackerman had been doing rotational work in Alberta, and was on his way home when he was intercepted.
Smith says part of the investigation now will be determining what the accused has been doing for the last quarter century.
“and make sure that there are no other victims, whether sexually motivated or homicides, that he could be involved in.”
Toronto Police have arrested a suspect in the 1998 cold case homicide of 24-year-old Donna Oglive. For 26 years, investigators have sought justice for Donna and her family, and this arrest brings us one step closer.
Thank you to the unwavering dedication of our team and… pic.twitter.com/0EBGcjHjLA
— Toronto Police (@TorontoPolice) February 7, 2025
