Police in Washington state have closed a cold case after a 40-year investigation led them to a Kamloops, B.C., man.
The Wenatchee Police Department said it is believed that Henry Leland killed Carol Traicoff, 35, on or around May 14, 1986.
Leland was well-known in Kamloops, as he spent several years living on the city’s streets before his death in 2007.
In a news release, Wenatchee police said their department responded to a report of a deceased person, who was identified as Traicoff. They determined her death a “homicidal assault.”
Despite an extensive investigation at the time, the police department said the forensic testing available was not enough to solve the case.
“Since the initial investigation, numerous officers and detectives have reviewed the case, but little to no new information was developed and no arrests were made,” the department said.
DNA evidence was sent for genetic analysis again in July 2024. On Feb. 24, 2025, the Washington State Patrol identified Leland as the suspect. His DNA was confirmed through comparison with that of his sister.
“We would like to thank Traicoff’s family for not giving up and remaining determined to find Traicoff’s killer,” the Wenatchee Police Department said.
Traicoff would have been 75 years old today, police said.
In 2009, a supportive housing building in Kamloops was named after Leland, and it remains there to this day.
At the time of its opening, the province said Leland “was regarded by the community as a kind soul.”
The building is funded by B.C. Housing and operated by local housing organization the ASK Wellness Society. On Tuesday morning, executive officer Bob Hughes said the sign on the building reading Henry Leland House will be removed.
“It is more than courteous, it is the right thing to do,” Hughes said.
The building will remain named as such until further consultation with the community can be done, Hughes said, adding that he is seeking guidance from local First Nations given that Leland was an Indigenous man.
Hughes said Leland was well regarded in the city, and he died on the streets due to exposure. Naming the building after him was a call to action to ensure no one else would die because of homelessness, he added.
“You don’t know everybody’s secrets and you don’t know what’s behind the curtain here. In this case, it’s something really terrible and tragic that happened at [Leland’s] hand.”
