A man from Kamloops who was memorialized locally through a supportive housing project has now been identified as the suspect in a 1986 homicide investigation in Washington state.
In a news release issued May 14, the Wenatchee Police Department said advances in forensic genetic genealogy helped investigators identify Henry B. Leland of Kamloops as the person believed responsible for the death of Carol A. Traicoff nearly 40 years ago.
Police say Traicoff was found deceased behind the Stanley Center in Wenatchee, Washington on May 14, 1986. Investigators determined she died as the result of a homicidal assault.
Despite extensive investigation at the time, detectives were unable to identify a suspect using the forensic technology available in the 1980s. The case remained unsolved for decades.
The investigation was reopened in 2023 when retired Detective Sergeant R. Weatherman worked with the Washington State Patrol Crime Lab to re-examine evidence using modern DNA testing methods.
Investigators say the testing identified DNA from an unknown male, which was later analyzed through forensic genetic genealogy. Police say the results eventually pointed investigators toward family connections in Canada and the United States.
In February 2025, investigators identified Leland as the suspect through Canada’s equivalent of the Combined DNA Index System. Police later confirmed the identification through DNA provided by Leland’s sister.
According to Wenatchee Police, Leland died in December 2007 and there is no evidence suggesting any additional suspects were involved. The case has now officially been closed.
Henry Leland House – 506 St Paul St
The identification has also drawn renewed attention in Kamloops because of Leland’s legacy in the community following his death.
In 2009, the Province of B.C. announced the opening of Henry Leland House, a 28-unit supportive housing development operated by ASK Wellness Centre. At the time, the province said the building was named in honour of Leland, describing him as an Indigenous man who had lived on the streets of Kamloops for many years and was regarded by the community as “a kind soul.” The province said he died from exposure in 2007.
The building remains in operation today as supportive housing in Kamloops at 506 St Paul St (pictured).
