Quebec police identify body of woman missing since 1978

Photographs of Pamela Harvey, who went missing in in 1978. (Sûreté du Québec)

The body of Pamela Harvey, who was reported missing in Sudbury, Ont., on Dec. 25, 1978, has been positively identified by Quebec provincial police.

It has been 47 years.

Harvey was 23 at the time of her disappearance, and was last seen in the Greater Sudbury region.

The Sûreté du Québec (SQ) explains that in March 1979, the body of an unidentified woman was discovered in Saint-Eustache, Que.

“Investigators determined that she had been the victim of a homicide,” the force notes. “Despite the limitations of forensic science at the time, evidence was carefully collected and preserved by investigators and specialists at the [Laboratory of Forensic Science and Medicine] LSJML, and has been kept secure ever since.”

Police explain that modern-day technologies, including DNA analysis as part of a 2018 national DNA Program for Missing Persons, allowed them to positively identify Harvey.

“[Greater Sudbury police] (GSPS) investigators met with Pamela Harvey’s family members and collected DNA samples, which were entered into the national database as part of ongoing efforts to solve her case,” the SQ said.

“In 2025, as part of this collaboration, a forensic odontologist was able to establish a link between the case of Pamela Harvey’s disappearance and the unidentified homicide victim discovered in Saint-Eustache.”

The identification was confirmed by Quebec’s Coroner’s office.

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“This outcome reflects the significant progress in forensic science that has made this resolution possible today,” the SQ said. “This confirmation provides long-awaited answers to Pamela’s family and ensures that her identity and story are no longer unknown.”

The force states that Harvey’s family has requested privacy “as they navigate this extremely painful ordeal” and will not be speaking publicly.

“After 47 years of uncertainty, Pamela Harvey’s family can finally grieve in peace, knowing that her identity has been restored with dignity and respect,” the SQ adds. “This victim was never forgotten, and her case stands as a testament to the unwavering perseverance of investigators from various jurisdictions who always believed it was possible to find answers.”

The person presumed responsible for Harvey’s death died in 1979, police note.

Harvey’s identification was a collaboration between the SQ, the GSPS, the Quebec Coroner’s office and the LSJML, affiliated with the Quebec Ministry of Public Safety.

“We extend our deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of Pamela Harvey, whose strength and patience have endured for decades, as well as our profound gratitude to the dedicated professionals whose collaboration, compassion and commitment have made it possible for this victim’s story to be told,” the SQ concluded.