A Hamilton man is facing charges in connection with a homicide that took place 20 years ago in Toronto.
Today, Toronto police announced that they charged Pierre O’Connor, 43, for the murder of 21-year-old Patrick Santos, which occurred on Sept. 17, 2006.
Photo of Patrick Santos, courtesy of Toronto Police Service
In a news release, police said that almost two decades ago, officers were called to a home in the Ellesmere Road and Bellamy Road area in Scarborough and discovered a man lying on the ground with obvious signs of trauma.
Police said he was pronounced dead at the scene and was the 49th homicide of the year in the city.
Since discovering the victim’s body, the police service has continued searching for the culprit. In the release, police said that DNA was collected at the scene at the time and a DNA profile was developed. That said, no suspect was identified and there was no match in the National DNA databank.
Photo of Pierre O’Connor, courtesy of Toronto Police Service
Police said that in 2020, investigators submitted the offender DNA profile for investigative genetic genealogy with the assistance of OTHRAM Inc., and while this did not help them identify a specific suspect, it “opened further investigative leads.” In 2025, a person of interest was discovered and DNA was collected from the suspect and, according to police, it matched the DNA evidence left at the crime scene.
The suspect was arrested on July 29 and charged with first-degree murder.
“Patrick was a young man. He had a job, a future ahead of him, and plans to move into his own place with his girlfriend,” said Detective Sergeant Stephen Smith of the Homicide and Missing Persons Unit – Cold Case Section in a statement.
“While nothing will ever bring Patrick back to his family, today we can say that the person alleged to be responsible for taking his life has been identified, arrested, and will now have to answer for this crime before the courts.”
He was scheduled to appear in court July 30.
The charges have not been proven in court.
Investigators believe that more than one individual may have been involved in this homicide. Anyone with information is asked to contact police at 416-808-7400.
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