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  An Irish family hasn’t given up hope of discovering the fate of a relative who vanished from Toronto almost 50 years ago — even though their prime hunch was dashed this week by DNA testing.The family of nursing assistant Anne Moran had been pinning their hopes on the emerging genetic genealogy technology to prove she was the “Nation River Lady” — the woman at the centre of one of this province’s most puzzling unsolved mysteries.Moran disappeared from her College Street apartment sometime in the early 1970s and hasn’t been seen since, her niece Annie McKay said. Moran’s family had suspected that she might be the Nation River Lady, whose body was discovered in a river near Ottawa in 1975. Although Moran’s family had struggled to come up with an exact timeline of her disappearance, the resemblance to photographs and descriptions of the unidentified woman was strong enough — and there were other coincidences, such as how the body was found with a tea towel with an “Irish Toast” design.However, the OPP announced this week that DNA had identified another person entirely: The Nation River Lady is actually Tennessee spa owner Jewell “Lalla” Langford, who was murdered during a trip to Montreal in the spring of 1975, police said. What’s more, investigators said they know the man who allegedly killed her, arresting an 81-year-old Florida man.McKay told the Star she was gracious the Langford family no longer wonders what happened to their loved one. “I am happy Jewell Langford has finally returned to her family, ending a 50-year search for her,” McKay said. “They can now finally have closure.”For now, she said her own family doesn’t have any other theories about the fate of her own aunt. “We don’t at the moment have another case that can be linked with her,” McKay said. “But we will explore other avenues as they arise.”Moran, who was born July 22, 1940, shared the College Street apartment with her husband Tom when she went missing. The couple had no children; the family members who are now trying to locate her were children at the time, McKay said.Before she vanished, Moran frequently corresponded with relatives, including her mother, in Ireland, sending them updates on her life and photos, McKay said.Then it all just stopped.Police said Langford’s case is believed to be the first Canadian use of genetic genealogy to identify the victim of a cold case homicide. The positive identification came after investigators shared her DNA sample with the DNA Doe Project, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to putting names to unidentified remains. Earlier this week, DNA Doe Project team leader C. Lauritsen said Langford “was practically there waiting for us to find her,” explaining that after uploading the Nation River Lady’s DNA profile to the online genetic genealogy databases GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, they were able to zero in on Langford as a likely candidate “within a couple of weeks.”Lauritsen added: “The heartbreaking part is that Jewell’s mother clearly searched for her for years and unfortunately died not knowing what happened to her daughter.”Langford’s body had laid in the Grenville Street morgue for a dozen years. She was finally buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in 1987 because of space problems in the morgue.Her remains were found floating in the Nation River on May 3, 1975, near a highway bridge about 60 kilometres east of Ottawa. The 48-year-old had been strangled and was nude; her hands and ankles had been reportedly bound with men’s neckties, and her face was covered with a tea towel.Langford was a Tennessee spa owner and the chair and president of the Jackson, Tenn., chapter of the American Businesswomen’s Association. In 1971, she was voted “woman of the year” by her colleagues.Rodney Nichols, 81, of Hollywood, Fla., has been charged with her murder. Police said Nichols was an acquaintance of Langford, but did not elaborate.She had travelled to Montreal in April 1975, but never returned home and her family reported her missing, Ontario Provincial Police said. Moran was the same height as the Langford, both five-foot-three to five-foot-four; neither woman had children.Moran’s husband Tom, a pharmacy assistant, died two years ago, at age 84. McKay said her side of the family lost contact with him not long after Moran’s disappearance.McKay said that Tom Moran, whom she described as a man who “never let his feelings show,” told her family he had hired a private detective to find his wife.However, McKay said she believes her aunt’s disappearance was not reported to police at the time — meaning Moran was not officially classified as a missing person.Tom told the family the P.I. had “traced her to the motel near the airport that serves the USA,” McKay said. “Which I found strange since she didn’t take her passport.”Before they lost contact with him, Tom also said his wife had become increasingly religious and may have joined a Toronto-area cult, McKay said.He wasn’t the only one who spoke of Moran showing more interest in religion before her disappearance. “My father James went to work in Canada about 1966 to 1968; he told my mum Anne had become more spiritual during that time,” McKay said via email.McKay said she, her sister and her uncle have all submitted DNA to Toronto police, in hopes of tracking down her aunt.Anne Moran immigrated from County Kerry in southern Ireland and spoke with an Irish accent. Her maiden name was O’Sullivan.Anne and Tom Moran moved to Toronto around 1966.This week, Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario, said that the identification of Langford as the Nation River Lady was a triumph of science, technology and co-operation between investigators.“For 47 years, Jewell Langford’s family did not know where she was or if they would ever learn what happened to her,” Huyer said in a prepared statement. “As science and technology progressed over the years and with continued collaboration by all investigating organizations, we were finally able to answer those questions. Our work is about finding the truth for families like Jewell’s and never giving up regardless of the passage of time.”Genetic genealogy is being used to solve an increasing number of high-profile Canadian cold cases and other mysteries. Late last month, Toronto police used the technique to identify the body of four-year-old Neveah Tucker, whose body was left in a Rosedale dumpster in May 2022.McKay said she hopes it will soon be her family’s time for closure.“We will continue to search for Anne,” McKay said.Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him via email: pedwards@thestar.ca

 An Irish family hasn’t given up hope of discovering the fate of a relative who vanished from Toronto almost 50 years ago — even though their prime hunch was dashed this week by DNA testing.The family of nursing assistant Anne Moran had been pinning their hopes on the emerging genetic genealogy technology to prove she was the “Nation River Lady” — the woman at the centre of one of this province’s most puzzling unsolved mysteries.Moran disappeared from her College Street apartment sometime in the early 1970s and hasn’t been seen since, her niece Annie McKay said. Moran’s family had suspected that she might be the Nation River Lady, whose body was discovered in a river near Ottawa in 1975. Although Moran’s family had struggled to come up with an exact timeline of her disappearance, the resemblance to photographs and descriptions of the unidentified woman was strong enough — and there were other coincidences, such as how the body was found with a tea towel with an “Irish Toast” design.However, the OPP announced this week that DNA had identified another person entirely: The Nation River Lady is actually Tennessee spa owner Jewell “Lalla” Langford, who was murdered during a trip to Montreal in the spring of 1975, police said. What’s more, investigators said they know the man who allegedly killed her, arresting an 81-year-old Florida man.McKay told the Star she was gracious the Langford family no longer wonders what happened to their loved one. “I am happy Jewell Langford has finally returned to her family, ending a 50-year search for her,” McKay said. “They can now finally have closure.”For now, she said her own family doesn’t have any other theories about the fate of her own aunt. “We don’t at the moment have another case that can be linked with her,” McKay said. “But we will explore other avenues as they arise.”Moran, who was born July 22, 1940, shared the College Street apartment with her husband Tom when she went missing. The couple had no children; the family members who are now trying to locate her were children at the time, McKay said.Before she vanished, Moran frequently corresponded with relatives, including her mother, in Ireland, sending them updates on her life and photos, McKay said.Then it all just stopped.Police said Langford’s case is believed to be the first Canadian use of genetic genealogy to identify the victim of a cold case homicide. The positive identification came after investigators shared her DNA sample with the DNA Doe Project, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to putting names to unidentified remains. Earlier this week, DNA Doe Project team leader C. Lauritsen said Langford “was practically there waiting for us to find her,” explaining that after uploading the Nation River Lady’s DNA profile to the online genetic genealogy databases GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, they were able to zero in on Langford as a likely candidate “within a couple of weeks.”Lauritsen added: “The heartbreaking part is that Jewell’s mother clearly searched for her for years and unfortunately died not knowing what happened to her daughter.”Langford’s body had laid in the Grenville Street morgue for a dozen years. She was finally buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in 1987 because of space problems in the morgue.Her remains were found floating in the Nation River on May 3, 1975, near a highway bridge about 60 kilometres east of Ottawa. The 48-year-old had been strangled and was nude; her hands and ankles had been reportedly bound with men’s neckties, and her face was covered with a tea towel.Langford was a Tennessee spa owner and the chair and president of the Jackson, Tenn., chapter of the American Businesswomen’s Association. In 1971, she was voted “woman of the year” by her colleagues.Rodney Nichols, 81, of Hollywood, Fla., has been charged with her murder. Police said Nichols was an acquaintance of Langford, but did not elaborate.She had travelled to Montreal in April 1975, but never returned home and her family reported her missing, Ontario Provincial Police said. Moran was the same height as the Langford, both five-foot-three to five-foot-four; neither woman had children.Moran’s husband Tom, a pharmacy assistant, died two years ago, at age 84. McKay said her side of the family lost contact with him not long after Moran’s disappearance.McKay said that Tom Moran, whom she described as a man who “never let his feelings show,” told her family he had hired a private detective to find his wife.However, McKay said she believes her aunt’s disappearance was not reported to police at the time — meaning Moran was not officially classified as a missing person.Tom told the family the P.I. had “traced her to the motel near the airport that serves the USA,” McKay said. “Which I found strange since she didn’t take her passport.”Before they lost contact with him, Tom also said his wife had become increasingly religious and may have joined a Toronto-area cult, McKay said.He wasn’t the only one who spoke of Moran showing more interest in religion before her disappearance. “My father James went to work in Canada about 1966 to 1968; he told my mum Anne had become more spiritual during that time,” McKay said via email.McKay said she, her sister and her uncle have all submitted DNA to Toronto police, in hopes of tracking down her aunt.Anne Moran immigrated from County Kerry in southern Ireland and spoke with an Irish accent. Her maiden name was O’Sullivan.Anne and Tom Moran moved to Toronto around 1966.This week, Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario, said that the identification of Langford as the Nation River Lady was a triumph of science, technology and co-operation between investigators.“For 47 years, Jewell Langford’s family did not know where she was or if they would ever learn what happened to her,” Huyer said in a prepared statement. “As science and technology progressed over the years and with continued collaboration by all investigating organizations, we were finally able to answer those questions. Our work is about finding the truth for families like Jewell’s and never giving up regardless of the passage of time.”Genetic genealogy is being used to solve an increasing number of high-profile Canadian cold cases and other mysteries. Late last month, Toronto police used the technique to identify the body of four-year-old Neveah Tucker, whose body was left in a Rosedale dumpster in May 2022.McKay said she hopes it will soon be her family’s time for closure.“We will continue to search for Anne,” McKay said.Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him via email: pedwards@thestar.ca 

An Irish family hasn’t given up hope of discovering the fate of a relative who vanished from Toronto almost 50 years ago — even though their prime hunch was dashed this week by DNA testing.

The family of nursing assistant Anne Moran had been pinning their hopes on the emerging genetic genealogy technology to prove she was the “Nation River Lady” — the woman at the centre of one of this province’s most puzzling unsolved mysteries.

Moran disappeared from her College Street apartment sometime in the early 1970s and hasn’t been seen since, her niece Annie McKay said. Moran’s family had suspected that she might be the Nation River Lady, whose body was discovered in a river near Ottawa in 1975. Although Moran’s family had struggled to come up with an exact timeline of her disappearance, the resemblance to photographs and descriptions of the unidentified woman was strong enough — and there were other coincidences, such as how the body was found with a tea towel with an “Irish Toast” design.

However, the OPP announced this week that DNA had identified another person entirely: The Nation River Lady is actually Tennessee spa owner Jewell “Lalla” Langford, who was murdered during a trip to Montreal in the spring of 1975, police said. What’s more, investigators said they know the man who allegedly killed her, arresting an 81-year-old Florida man.

McKay told the Star she was gracious the Langford family no longer wonders what happened to their loved one. “I am happy Jewell Langford has finally returned to her family, ending a 50-year search for her,” McKay said.

“They can now finally have closure.”

For now, she said her own family doesn’t have any other theories about the fate of her own aunt. “We don’t at the moment have another case that can be linked with her,” McKay said. “But we will explore other avenues as they arise.”

Moran, who was born July 22, 1940, shared the College Street apartment with her husband Tom when she went missing. The couple had no children; the family members who are now trying to locate her were children at the time, McKay said.

Before she vanished, Moran frequently corresponded with relatives, including her mother, in Ireland, sending them updates on her life and photos, McKay said.

Then it all just stopped.

Police said Langford’s case is believed to be the first Canadian use of genetic genealogy to identify the victim of a cold case homicide.

The positive identification came after investigators shared her DNA sample with the DNA Doe Project, a U.S.-based non-profit dedicated to putting names to unidentified remains.

Earlier this week, DNA Doe Project team leader C. Lauritsen said Langford “was practically there waiting for us to find her,” explaining that after uploading the Nation River Lady’s DNA profile to the online genetic genealogy databases GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA, they were able to zero in on Langford as a likely candidate “within a couple of weeks.”

Lauritsen added: “The heartbreaking part is that Jewell’s mother clearly searched for her for years and unfortunately died not knowing what happened to her daughter.”

Langford’s body had laid in the Grenville Street morgue for a dozen years. She was finally buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery in 1987 because of space problems in the morgue.

Her remains were found floating in the Nation River on May 3, 1975, near a highway bridge about 60 kilometres east of Ottawa. The 48-year-old had been strangled and was nude; her hands and ankles had been reportedly bound with men’s neckties, and her face was covered with a tea towel.

Langford was a Tennessee spa owner and the chair and president of the Jackson, Tenn., chapter of the American Businesswomen’s Association. In 1971, she was voted “woman of the year” by her colleagues.

Rodney Nichols, 81, of Hollywood, Fla., has been charged with her murder. Police said Nichols was an acquaintance of Langford, but did not elaborate.

She had travelled to Montreal in April 1975, but never returned home and her family reported her missing, Ontario Provincial Police said.

Moran was the same height as the Langford, both five-foot-three to five-foot-four; neither woman had children.

Moran’s husband Tom, a pharmacy assistant, died two years ago, at age 84. McKay said her side of the family lost contact with him not long after Moran’s disappearance.

McKay said that Tom Moran, whom she described as a man who “never let his feelings show,” told her family he had hired a private detective to find his wife.

However, McKay said she believes her aunt’s disappearance was not reported to police at the time — meaning Moran was not officially classified as a missing person.

Tom told the family the P.I. had “traced her to the motel near the airport that serves the USA,” McKay said. “Which I found strange since she didn’t take her passport.”

Before they lost contact with him, Tom also said his wife had become increasingly religious and may have joined a Toronto-area cult, McKay said.

He wasn’t the only one who spoke of Moran showing more interest in religion before her disappearance.

“My father James went to work in Canada about 1966 to 1968; he told my mum Anne had become more spiritual during that time,” McKay said via email.

McKay said she, her sister and her uncle have all submitted DNA to Toronto police, in hopes of tracking down her aunt.

Anne Moran immigrated from County Kerry in southern Ireland and spoke with an Irish accent. Her maiden name was O’Sullivan.

Anne and Tom Moran moved to Toronto around 1966.

This week, Dr. Dirk Huyer, Chief Coroner for Ontario, said that the identification of Langford as the Nation River Lady was a triumph of science, technology and co-operation between investigators.

“For 47 years, Jewell Langford’s family did not know where she was or if they would ever learn what happened to her,” Huyer said in a prepared statement. “As science and technology progressed over the years and with continued collaboration by all investigating organizations, we were finally able to answer those questions. Our work is about finding the truth for families like Jewell’s and never giving up regardless of the passage of time.”

Genetic genealogy is being used to solve an increasing number of high-profile Canadian cold cases and other mysteries. Late last month, Toronto police used the technique to identify the body of four-year-old Neveah Tucker, whose body was left in a Rosedale dumpster in May 2022.

McKay said she hopes it will soon be her family’s time for closure.

“We will continue to search for Anne,” McKay said.

Peter Edwards is a Toronto-based reporter primarily covering crime for the Star. Reach him via email: pedwards@thestar.ca