Bridging the Gaps: Collaboration, Innovation, and Identification
The 2026 International Missing Persons & Unidentified Remains Conference is honored to welcome an outstanding panel of speakers whose expertise and dedication are advancing the fields of missing persons investigations and human identification. Representing diverse disciplines, our presenters will share innovative research, emerging practices, and real-world experiences that foster collaboration, inspire progress, and strengthen our collective commitment to bringing answers to families and restoring identities.
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"Who is the Danforth Lady?" Detective Constable Mike Kelly, Toronto Police Service |
Mike Kelly is a graduate of the University of Waterloo and has been a member of the Toronto Police Service since August 2001. Mike is one of the original members of the Missing Persons Unit and currently works as a human remains investigator. Among his responsibilities is resolving cases involving historical unidentified human remains using IGG, otherwise known as Project 31. It was so-named for the 31 open Toronto Police Service cases involving long-term unidentified deceased people for whom DNA material is readily available. In just over three years, 13 of the original 31 cases have been solved, along with many more UHR cases from police agencies across Canada. About the Session: In May 1995 the remains of an unknown murdered woman were found beneath a Danforth Ave car dealership built in the 1940’s. Countless articles, television programs and online chat forums have since posed the question: who is the Danforth Lady? Go behind the scenes with 30+ years of investigation into one of Toronto’s oldest unsolved cases. And see how modern investigative techniques made the previously impossible, possible.
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"Working with Families of Long-Term Missing Person Investigators" Kirsty Bennett |
Senior Lecturer of Policing, Leeds Trinity University Dr Kirsty Bennett is a Senior Lecturer of Policing and Criminology at Leeds Trinity University. She also runs a voluntary advocacy and review unit for unsolved homicides and missing persons (referred to as MISSPER). Kirsty supports 16 families across the world who would like justice and answers to their loved one’s disappearance or unsolved case. Kirsty is an active researcher within homicides, policing, and missing persons, working with police forces in the UK. She is currently working with two police forces to evaluate their responses to missing children and developing a larger project on how the voluntary sector can help reduce repeat episodes among children. About the Session Working with Families of Long-Term Missing Person Investigations While most missing person investigations are resolved quickly and without harm, some becoming unsolved for months or years. In these cases, families are often thrust into a complex and uncertain investigative environment. They often have limited understanding of investigative processes, are unsure of how inquiries will progress, and may experience frustration with perceived gaps in the information or investigative activity. In response, many families undertake their own efforts to gather information, including speaking to friends and associates, revisiting locations connected to their loved one, and develop new hypotheses regarding their disappearance. These activities may generate information that may assist investigations, but they also present challenges relating to evidential value, information management, family wellbeing, and police-family relations. Drawing on interviews and ongoing advocacy work with the families of long-term missing persons in the UK, this presentation examines the strength and limitations of family-led information gathering. It explores the role advocacy and support services in helping families navigate prolonged investigations and considers how effective engagement can strengthen relationships between families and law enforcement. The presentation will discuss how information generated by families may be incorporated into investigative reviews and decision-making processes, while highlighting the importance of appropriate communication, information assessment, and partnership working. The findings offer practical considerations for investigators seeking to improve engagement with families and maximise opportunities for developing new lines of inquiry in long-term missing person cases. |
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Dr. Lorna Ferguson |
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"Considerations for the Cold Case Investigator" Ken Bilboe, Highlands Tracking Search and Rescue |
Police Officer - York Regional Police – 1987 to 1991 Police Officer - York Regional Police – 2006 to 2026 Search And Rescue Tech/Team Leader – 2006 to 2014 Search And Rescue Trainer – 2012 to 2026 Certified Human Tracker – 2015 to Present Highlands Tracking Research Project – 2018 - Present Highlands Tracking Search And Rescue 2021 – Present (Non-Profit) Deemed a Human Tracking expert by YRP Chief Jim MacSween since 2022
About the Topic: The intent will be to encourage attendees to share perspectives and consider the adoption of a new investigative filter to support future cold case investigations. |
| Antonio Miguel Cruz & Dr. Lili Liu |
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Dr. Lili Liu is dean of the Faculty of Health, and professor in the School of Public Health Sciences at the University of Waterloo. She advances health-care technology through her leadership roles in research, administration, service and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students, and post-docs. Her research program examines acceptance and adoption of technologies by older adults, their care partners, health care professionals, and unlicensed care personnel. Liu’s current research program examines the applications of technologies and other innovations to mitigate risks of going missing among persons living with dementia. Her team engages with community organizations and focuses on approaches to inform and implement policies that create safe environments for older adults.
About the Session: Persons living with dementia are at risk of going missing, and police invest significant time and resources responding to missing incidents. During the presentation, the presenters will:
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| Rachel Oefelein |
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"A Family Perspective of Missing Persons" Maureen Trask |
Maureen Trask is a Canadian advocate for missing persons and the families impacted. A retired IT professional, she holds a BA in Psychology from Wilfrid Laurier University and volunteers as a Peer Support Facilitator with CMHA Waterloo‑Wellington, Canada and the Fowler‑O’Sullivan Foundation, USA for families of missing hikers. The disappearance of her son, Daniel, shapes her work with families, police, researchers, policymakers, and agencies. As a change agent at heart, she championed Ontario’s Missing Persons Act and continues to advocate for a national Missing Persons Framework across Canada. About the Session: This presentation explores how lived experience of families can illuminate gaps in the field of missing persons. In addition to sharing her story of Daniel, Maureen will speak to key components of missing persons: Respond, Support, Protect, and Prevent. The presentation will be from a family perspective to enlighten and reflect on the importance, improvements, and impacts of missing persons. The landscape of Missing Persons is changing, with exciting possibilities by opening the door to family engagement. |
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Serial Offenders and Missing Persons: Myths vs. Reality Dr. Sasha Reid, PhD, JD |
 Dr. Sasha Reid, PhD, JDBarrister & Solicitor | Law Society of Alberta Director, National Cold Case Initiative |
| Amanda Pick |
 Amanda PickChief Executive Officer Missing Children Society of Canada |
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Forensic Genealogy and Human Identification David Mittelman |
 David Mittelman, PhDCihef Executive Officer OTHRAM |
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FILU Panel Session Tanya Debassigne, Family Information Liaison Unit, Indigenous Justice Division, Ministry of the Attorney General SPC Paul Barry, Investigator, FILU |
Dr. Dirk Huyer was appointed Chief Coroner for Ontario in March 2014. Dr. Huyer received his medical degree from the University of Toronto in 1986. He has served as a coroner in Ontario since 1992 and most recently served as Regional Supervising Coroner for the Regions of Peel and Halton, as well as the Counties of Simcoe and Wellington. He has been involved in over 5,000 coroner’s investigations. Dr. Huyer has specific expertise in the medical evaluation of child maltreatment and has worked with the Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect (SCAN) Program at the Hospital for Sick Children. Dr. Huyer is the Chair of both the Deaths Under Five and Pediatric Death Review committees of the Office of the Chief Coroner. He is also an Assistant Professor with the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Toronto.
Tanya Debassige is Anishinaabe (Ojibwe, Odawa, and Potawatomi) from Mnidoo Mnising (Manitoulin Island) and was born and raised within the Robinson Huron Treaty territory. She is a proud mother and grandmother whose lived experience as the granddaughter of Residential School Survivors and a former Indian Day School student has informed her commitment to advancing Indigenous justice, healing, and community well-being. Tanya currently serves as a Family Liaison Program Coordinator with the Family Information Liaison Unit (FILU) within the Indigenous Justice Division of Ontario's Ministry of the Attorney General. In this role, she supports families and survivors affected by Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), including Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People (MMIWG2S+). Through FILU, Tanya assists families in accessing available information from police, criminal justice, child welfare, coroner, and other government systems, helping them navigate complex processes through a trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and family-centered approach. Recognized for her strong advocacy and leadership, Tanya is committed to ensuring that Indigenous perspectives, ways of knowing, and lived experiences are meaningfully reflected in justice-sector policies, practices, and services. She works collaboratively with families, community partners, police services, and justice professionals to support culturally safe, respectful, and responsive service delivery. In 2019, Tanya was part of the Family Information Liaison Unit team that received the Ontario Public Service Amethyst Award in recognition of their outstanding contributions to supporting families and advancing service excellence. Outside of her professional responsibilities, Tanya enjoys spending time with her family, cooking, and reconnecting with the land as a source of balance, reflection, and renewal.
SPC Paul Barry |
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Emergency Management and Public Order, Toronto Police Service Sergeant Darren MA and Team (High Risk Search Management) |
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| Alzheimer Society of Toronto Dave Spedding, CEO Katie MacLean, Senior Manager, Clinical Services Julie Wong, Senior Manager Educations and Community Programs |
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https://findingyourwayontario.ca/
Dave Spedding, CEO Dave leads the Alzheimer Society of Toronto (AST) with over 25 years of delivering transformative IT, finance, human resources, and fundraising initiatives for national non-profit organizations. He brings a natural and authentic leadership style, as well as a disciplined approach, cultivating a culture of hard work, transparency, and continuous improvement. Dave’s commitment to the work of AST comes from a very personal place, knowing the impact this disease has on a person and their family. His mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease 25 years ago. This lived experience drives his commitment to making sure that no one walks the dementia journey alone.
Katie MacLean, Senior Manager, Clinical Services Katie’s personal experience with dementia led her to a career in supporting the people it directly and indirectly impacts, first as a social worker and now as Manager of Clinical Programs at AST. She oversees the Intake Co-ordinators who initially speak to clients, the Care Navigators who connect clients to resources, and the Social Workers who provide individual counselling and facilitate groups. Katie is also passionate about supporting the next generation of clinicians to learn how to support people impacted by dementia as an Adjunct Lecturer with the University of Toronto’s School of Social Work.
Julie Wong, Senior Manager Educations and Community Programs Julie Wong is the Senior Manager Educations and Community Programs at the Alzheimer Society of Toronto. Her work involves managing the teams that run AST community programs and oversees the public education coordinators and the planning of education session across the city of Toronto to community groups and institutions like Toronto Police Services, Toronto Public Libraries and the TTC. She also oversees the training of health professionals around dementia care. With a Masters degree in Public Health, her previous work has involved public and professional education around other health topics.
About the Session People living with dementia who become lost or go missing require a coordinated, informed response that spans healthcare, community services, and emergency response. In this session, the CEO, Senior Manager Education and Community Programs, and Senior Manager of Clinical Services from the Alzheimer Society of Toronto will examine the intersection of dementia, wandering risk, and missing persons investigations through the lens of cross-sector collaboration. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of the clinical and behavioural factors that contribute to wandering, the impact on individuals and care partners, and best practices for prevention, response, and recovery. The session will highlight how stronger partnerships between police, emergency services, healthcare providers, and community organizations can improve response times, support informed decision-making, and ultimately enhance outcomes for vulnerable individuals. |
Dr. Lorna Ferguson is an award-winning criminologist and professor of criminology and criminal justice at the University of Regina. She is also the Founder of the Missing Persons Research Hub, a North America-wide initiative advancing research, policy, and practice on missing persons. Her work focuses on policing, missing persons, and search and rescue, with an emphasis on improving investigative responses, interagency coordination, and prevention. Dr. Ferguson has published extensively, authored multiple books, and collaborates with police services and public safety organizations across Canada to translate research into practice.
University of Alberta, Canada. Antonio Miguel Cruz is an Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy, University of Alberta, and an Adjunct Professor in the School of Public Health Sciences, University of Waterloo. He leads the PEAR Lab, focusing on how digital health interventions and health data can enhance the health and well-being of older adults. 
Rachel Oefelein is currently the Chief Scientific Officer at DNA Labs International (DLI) and Laboratory Director. She received her MSc in Forensic Science from the University of Strathclyde, her BS in Criminal Justice, with a Forensic Science Minor, from Loyola University of New Orleans, and her PhD from Griffith University. Previous employment included the Armed Forces DNA Identification Laboratory (AFDIL) for nearly five years and an internship at the Instytut Ekspertyz Sądowych, the Forensic Laboratory in Krakow, Poland. Rachel has testified in fourteen Florida counties, nine states and U.S. Territories, and six countries as an expert witness for both the prosecution and the defense in misdemeanor and felony trials, as well as William, Frye, Daubert, and Arthur hearings. Since joining DNA Labs International in 2014, Rachel was instrumental in implementing STRmix™ for five profiling systems, rootless hair shaft testing, and Next Generation Sequencing in three profiling systems. She also innovated and implemented DLI’s successful SpentShell™ technology for fired cartridge casings.
Tanya Debassigne
