Edmonton Police have charged a 66-year-old Orillia male in relation to a sexual assault reported in northeast Edmonton in 1981.
On Friday, September. 18, 1981 Edmonton Police responded to the report of a sexual assault in the area of Lancaster Terrace and 156 Avenue. It was reported to police that at around 3:30 a.m. a 36-year-old female was exiting her vehicle in a parkade when she was accosted by an unknown male and sexually assaulted. The male then reportedly took the female’s purse and fled the area.
A thorough investigation was conducted at the time; however, investigators were unable to identify or locate a suspect.
In October 2018, investigators with the EPS Historical Crimes Section re-evaluated the file against modern investigate techniques. Using current day forensic testing, a DNA profile of the suspect was developed and using the National DNA Data Bank was matched to John Edward Beausoleil, 66.
With the assistance of the OPP, Beausoleil, who was 27-years-old at the time of the assault, was arrested at his home in Orillia, Ontario on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2020. He has since been transported back to Edmonton where he is facing charges of rape and robbery under the 1981 Criminal Code of Canada.
