ST. JOHN'S, N.L. -- New DNA evidence has provided a "breakthrough" in the 34-year-old unsolved murder of a teenage girl in Newfoundland and Labrador, say police.
The brutal killing of 14-year-old Dana Bradley in 1981 launched one of the largest and most costly murder investigations in the province's history.
On Thursday, the RCMP said its major crime unit was using the latest DNA technologies to further the investigation and some exhibits were sent to a DNA lab for additional testing.
The testing provided DNA evidence connected to an unknown suspect and police said further testing is now underway.
"This new DNA evidence is a breakthrough for the investigation," RCMP Insp. Pat Cahill said in a news release.
"Our investigators are using the DNA to eliminate suspects and continue to clear tips received from the public," he said. "A small, seemingly insignificant piece of information could be the tip we need to identify the person or persons responsible for Dana's death."
Bradley was last seen entering a car while hitchhiking, according to witnesses.
She was reported missing on Dec. 14, 1981 and her body was found four days later at Maddox Cove, a wooded area just south of St. John's.
Her skull had been fractured by blows from a blunt object and she had been sexually assaulted.
A suspect, David Grant Somerton, was charged with the murder, but information he gave police that led to his arrest turned out to be false. The charges were eventually stayed.
It was another twist in a case that over the years has stymied police in the form of several wrong turns and through a lack of hard evidence.
Bradley's death captivated the public to the point where in 1991 Newfoundland Broadcasting re-enacted the murder in segments during its evening news program over several days.
Her tragic story was also recounted in a 2003 book by author Darrin McGrath entitled "Hitching a Ride: The Unsolved Murder of Dana Bradley."
Legendary singer-songwriter Ron Hynes also released a song about the killing in 2003 called "The Ghost of Dana Bradley."
