In Edmonton, Alberta, Canadian police have made a significant breakthrough in solving a cold case involving four young women’s deaths almost five decades ago. Authorities revealed that the deaths have been linked to a deceased fugitive from the United States who lived in Canada from the mid-1970s until the late 1990s.
The fugitive in question, Gary Allen Srery, may also be connected to other unsolved murders and sexual assaults in Western Canada. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta are urging the public to come forward with any information that could assist in solving these cases.
Through the use of DNA evidence and advancements in technology, authorities were able to connect Srery to the murders of Eva Dvorak, Patricia McQueen, Melissa Rehorek, and Barbara MacLean in the 1970s. Srery, who passed away in 2011 while serving a life sentence for sexual assault in an Idaho state prison, has now been identified as a serial sexual offender responsible for the deaths of the four young women.
Each of the victims lived in Calgary, Alberta, with Dvorak and McQueen, both 14-year-olds, last seen together in downtown Calgary before their bodies were discovered under a highway underpass. Rehorek, a 20-year-old who had recently moved to Calgary from Ontario, was found dead in a ditch west of the city after going hitchhiking. MacLean, a 19-year-old from Nova Scotia, was last seen leaving a hotel bar and found hours later just outside Calgary.
Authorities mentioned that despite the lack of technology at the time to find DNA matches, semen was collected from all four crime scenes. Alberta RCMP Inspector Breanne Brown explained that Srery had a long criminal record, including forcible rape and kidnapping when he fled to Canada from California in 1974. He lived in Canada under various aliases until his arrest in 1998 for sexual assault in British Columbia.
Despite Srery’s death, authorities believe there may be more victims linked to him and are seeking the public’s help in establishing his movements and potential crimes in Canada. The case serves as a testament to the importance of DNA technology advancements in solving cold cases and bringing justice to victims and their families.
