Police lay murder charge in Holly Jones case

 Sat, 21 Jun 2003 

TORONTO - Police in Toronto on Friday arrested a 35-year-old man and charged him in connection with the killing of 10-year-old Holly Jones.

Police Chief Julian Fantino told a news conference that Michael Briere, 35, has been charged with first-degree murder.

He will appear in court Saturday morning.

"Hopefully this arrest will bring some closure to Holly's family, friends and the community as a whole," he said.

Briere, a software developer, was picked up by police early Friday outside a home in Holly's west-end neighbourhood. He is now in custody at a Toronto police station.

He has an apartment within a few blocks of Holly's house.

Police aren't releasing a photo of the suspect, and Fantino asked the media not to publish any images of him that they get hold of on their own. He said the investigation is ongoing, and investigators are still hoping the public can provide more information about him.

Staff Insp. Bruce Smollet, who has been one of the leading officers in the investigation, went to the home of Holly's parents at about 9 a.m. Friday.

Holly was abducted in broad daylight on May 12 within blocks of her home.

Police say Briere lives along the path the 10-year-old likely took as she walked home from a friend's house.

The next day, her remains were found in two locations on the city's waterfront.

Police have said all along they had strong evidence they believed would lead them to the killer. They have repeatedly swept the neighbourhood and sought the public's help in their search.

A task force was struck to chase down the killer, and Fantino said at any given time 300 people were working on the case.

"By all accounts, this investigation marks in many ways the benchmark of excellence," he said.

Fantino refused to discuss with reporters many aspects of the investigation, including requests for DNA samples.

Written by CBC News Online staff