OPP seek DNA in historical missing person's case

Huron OPP are asking for DNA to possibly help solve a historical missing person's case.

In October 1967, police received a report that two men left for a fishing excursion from the Port of Goderich and were never seen again.

According to police, their vessel was found but Neil Wormsbecker, 29, and Hank Englebertus Halff, 30, went missing in Lake Huron — both men lived in Stratford, Ont. at the time.

Police are now asking that any remaining biological family members come forward and provide DNA to compare against all samples of found human remains in the DNA database.

“If you think you’re a blood relative, please come forward and then we can connect you with the people that do the comparisons and they’ll follow up with you,” said Const. Craig Soldan. "A DNA sample is not very intrusive. It’s probably just a buccal [cheek] swab that they would take from the inside of your mouth and that sample would be forwarded up to the DNA databank and provided to those agencies so they could compare it with the ones they have on file."

The Ontario Centre for Missing Persons and Unidentified Remains and the National Missing Persons DNA Program said they continue to work toward solving historical cases and providing closure for families of missing loved ones.

"They’re considered missing until proven otherwise. So even though this case is historic, it’s still unsolved for us. It’s a case that we revisit every year, and we try to look at new ways to solve this case,” said Soldan.

— With files from CTV News Kitchener