Not if, when: Police say Sweeney murder will be solved

On this day in 1998, 23-year-old Laurentian University student Renée Sweeney was stabbed to death while working at Adults Only Video in Sudbury.

Her murder remains unsolved.

Det. Sgt. Robert Weston of the Greater Sudbury Police has been assigned the case for the past three years.

“We're still receiving tips on a weekly basis,” he said. “Every tip is actively followed up as far as we can.”

At the time, police said the suspect was a white man in his early 20s to early 30s, and released a composite sketch. But that suspect would be 18 years older now, and could have changed substantially in appearance.

Weston said the best chance to catch the killer at this point is through DNA matching. The suspect's DNA was left on Sweeney's body, as well as on a jacket he discarded after the murder.

“The DNA has been uploaded into the national DNA databank,” he said.

“It's also been tested throughout several states in the USA. It's checked every so often by the Centre for Forensic Sciences. We're just waiting for that hit to come back.”

Although it's been 18 years since Sweeney's murder — she'd be 41 years old today — Weston remains hopeful the case will be solved.

“I know that this will be solved,” he said. “It's just a matter of when.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Greater Sudbury Police at 705-675-9171 or Crime Stoppers at 705-222-TIPS, online at www.sudburycrimestoppers.com or by texting TIPSUD and the information to CRIMES (274637).