EDMONTON, Canada – Canadian authorities have made a significant breakthrough in a cold case dating back nearly five decades. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced on Friday that the deaths of two 14-year-old girls and two young women have been linked to a now-deceased U.S. fugitive, Gary Allen Srery, who sought refuge in Canada from the mid-1970s to the late 1990s.

During a press conference in Edmonton, Alberta, Alberta RCMP Supt. Dave Hall revealed that Srery may also be connected to other unresolved murders and sexual assaults in Western Canada. The police are urging the public to come forward with any information that may help in solving additional cases linked to Srery.

Srery, who passed away in 2011 while serving a life sentence for rape in an Idaho prison, was identified through DNA and criminal databases that aided in tracing his family tree. Authorities released a video on social media to appeal for tips from the public regarding the four women whose deaths are now linked to Srery.

In 1976, Eva Dvorak and Patricia McQueen, both 14-year-olds from Calgary, Alberta, were last seen together before their bodies were discovered under a highway underpass the following day. Another victim, 20-year-old Melissa Rehorek, was found in a ditch west of Calgary after going hitchhiking. Barbara MacLean, a 19-year-old Calgary resident from Nova Scotia, was last seen leaving a hotel bar and was later found just outside the city. Rehorek and MacLean’s deaths were attributed to strangulation, while the cause of death for the two 14-year-olds remains unknown.

Even though semen was collected from all four crime scenes, the technology at the time was unable to develop a DNA profile. Had Srery been alive today, he would be 81 years old, according to Hall.

Additionally, Srery had an extensive criminal record that included forcible rape, kidnapping, and burglary when he fled to Canada from California in 1974. Living in Canada illegally until his arrest for sexual assault in 1998, Srery used multiple aliases and led a transient lifestyle, occasionally working as a cook in Calgary and Vancouver.

Deported to the U.S. in 2003, Srery was convicted for sexually motivated crimes and sentenced to life in prison. His criminal activities spanned decades and jurisdictions, leading authorities to believe there may be more victims. The public is encouraged to assist in establishing Srery’s timeline in Canada, as it is concerning that he had minimal contact with law enforcement during his time in the country.