The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) Homicide Unit is appealing for public assistance after investigators identified human remains discovered during a 2023 demolition in Niagara Falls, Ont., as belonging to a woman who vanished more than two decades ago.The remains, found in November 2023 inside a vacant home at 7081 Stanley Avenue, have now been identified as Brenda Marie LeBlanc, born in 1963. Police say her death is being investigated as a homicide.The Stanley Avenue property had been empty for years before its demolition and previously operated as a multi‑unit rental residence from the late 1970s until about 2018. After that, police say it was frequently unlawfully entered and used by unhoused individuals.During demolition, workers discovered human remains inside the structure. A forensic and anthropological examination determined they belonged to an adult female, and that the remains had likely been at the property for many years — possibly since the mid‑1990s.Despite extensive investigative work, the woman’s identity remained unknown for nearly two years.Investigative genetic genealogy leads to breakthroughIn 2025, detectives turned to Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) to help identify the remains. Working with the Toronto Police Service, the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service, and Othram Laboratories in Texas, investigators were able to confirm the deceased as LeBlanc.LeBlanc lived in Niagara Falls, Ont., and St. Catharines, Ont., during the 1990s, when she was in her 30s, and was originally from New Brunswick, N.B. Police say they have not yet determined how she came to be at the Stanley Avenue property or what connection she may have had to the residence. The property owners have cooperated fully with investigators.Given the age of the case, detectives say they are now relying heavily on community memory. Investigators believe there are people who knew Brenda, interacted with her, or may recall details about her life, associates, or movements in the 1990s that could help determine how she died.Photo: Niagara Falls police.