New DNA technology revives Saskatoon cold homicide cases

Some homicide cases go unsolved for years in Saskatoon, but Det. Sgt. Darren Funk of the Saskatoon Police Service says that doesn’t mean they are forgotten.

Funk has been with the Saskatoon Police Service for 25 years and said a historical case doesn’t have to be decades old. It can be any investigation that has stalled while police wait for new leads or advancements in technology.

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Funk said new investigative standards have been introduced across Canada in recent years, and detectives are revisiting older cases to ensure they meet current requirements.

“It can be something as simple as digitizing all the old paper copies of evidence,” he said.

One of the most significant advancements has been DNA technology.

“In many of these very old cases, we have witnesses who are no longer here and have passed away, so that can create roadblocks,” he said.

“Sometimes science can help advance those cases.”

Funk said advancements in genetic sequencing at the RCMP lab over the past few years have allowed investigators to separate mixed DNA samples into individual profiles.

Funk said these advancements have helped in older cases, especially when considering how evidence was collected and preserved.

“Were the officers wearing gloves? What kind of gloves were they wearing? Were they wearing latex gloves? Were they using leather gloves after interacting with the public and touching numerous people before handling the evidence?”

Funk noted that investigators must also consider whether evidence was properly documented, stored or potentially contaminated.

“Older ones prior to 2000, no DNA was ever looked at or done,” Funk said.

Funk explained that new DNA advancements can be key to uncovering new leads in historical investigations, especially in cases with little evidence.

What happened to Randy Jack Gunn?

One historical case police are investigating is the death of 50-year-old Randy Jack Gunn of Saskatoon.

Gunn’s body was found by a passerby in an alley in the 300 block of 20th Street West on the afternoon of Dec. 21, 2022. According to police, Gunn was the victim of a homicide.

Funk said there is evidence indicating Gunn’s body was transported from another location.

Police conducted interviews, collected evidence and carried out forensic examinations. However, Funk said the investigation stalled in 2023 after DNA testing revealed mixed profiles.

Funk said that when he joined the unit in 2025, advancements in RCMP laboratory technology allowed investigators to revisit that evidence and separate the DNA into individual profiles.

“That’s where we are today, working on those leads,” he said.

Still, Funk said police are asking anyone with information about Gunn’s death to contact investigators.

“Everything we hear about this gentleman is that he was a nice guy,” Funk said. “This should not have happened.”

Funk said he has hope that progress can be made in every case he works on.

“I believe everybody deserves to have an answer. Everybody deserves to have their story told,” he said.

“It’s really nice to put an identity to somebody and be able to tell their family what happened. And if you can’t tell them what happened, at least you can tell them where their loved one is.”