Edmonton Serial Killer

Thomas George Svekla

RCMP testimony in the case against accused prostitute killer Thomas Svekla has brought to light previously unknown details about the cases of 13 women investigated by the Project KARE task force.

Svekla verdict   Svekla sentenced    17 years before parole

Trial of Thomas Svekla                               Thomas Svekla trial

Svekla claimed he killed prostitute                                          Svekla guilty of sex assault

Svekla urged police to charge him                                          Judge describes interrogation

Five similar deaths lead police to suspect single killer              Alberta man charged with murder

One killer may be behind AB sex trade deaths                        Suspect has history of violence

Task force proves its worth in Edmonton murders                    Police seize more vehicles

Project KARE on trail of serial killers

RCMP asks for help

EDMONTON - RCMP are asking for public assistance in identifying human remains discovered Nov. 3 in a wooded area 25 kilometres west of Vegreville.    (Edmonton Journal)   MORE:  Human remains found near Vegreville

BC police make arrest in 16-year old murder

DAWSON CREEK - Police could reveal more information Friday about an arrest in the murder of an aboriginal woman in northern BC whose body was found along a highway 16 years ago.  Dawson Creek RCMP confirm they've made an arrest in the death of 21-year-old Cindy Burk, whose body was found by a highway near Dawson Creek, about 400 kilometres northeast of Prince George.  (CBC)  MORE:  Charges laid in connection with historical homicide

Fallen trees got more attention than missing women: marcher

VANCOUVER - Vancouver mourned when a windstorm toppled trees in Stanley Park, but the city barely noticed when more than 60 women went missing from the Downtown Eastside, a relative of two missing women said. (CBC)

Nothing's changed, marchers   Edmonton march remembers missing women   Killer preying on prostitutes   When help doesn't come   Violence booming with economy    In memory of the dead    Prostitution Awareness and Action Foundation

When Edmonton police spokesman Jeff Wuite was asked why the service had not reported Theresa Merrie Innes disappearance to the public, he said "We have about 7,000 missing persons files a year, that's why."

Project KARE has issued a missing person alert for:

Corrie Ottenbreit   Thomas Svekla is a suspect in her investigation.

Maggie Lee Burke

Shannon Maureen Collins, 29

June 2008  Human remains that were discovered southeast of Sherwood Park in June belonged to a 29-year-old woman who lived a "high-risk lifestyle," RCMP said Friday.  Shannon Maureen Collins, from Edmonton, was reported missing to Edmonton police by her family on Sept. 9, several months after the remains had been found.  Human remains identified   Bones identified as female   The Strathcona skeleton

Brianna Danielle Torvalson, 21

Feb. 2008  RCMP have identified the woman found dead in Strathcona County as Brianna Danielle Torvalson.   Woman identified   Slain prostitute got 'mixed up in wrong crowd'

Leanne Lori Benwell, 27

July 2007   Police have identified a missing woman as a dead Edmonton sex trade worker and have launched a homicide investigation.  Leanne Lori Benwell had last been seen on March 12 after visiting her mother and was reported missing in April.    Police investigating death of Alberta woman   Prostitute ID'd

Bonnie Lynn Jack (Lovie), 37

March 2006   Police added the name Bonnie Lynn Jack to the list of victims. Jack, also known as Bonnie Lynn Loyie, 37, lived a high-risk lifestyle, including involvement in the Vancouver and Edmonton sex trade.   Jack's body was found Tuesday by a couple walking near Township Road 542 and Range Road 225, south of Fort Saskatchewan.   Latest victim was street prostitute   Police identify body

Thersa Merrie Innes, 36

Aug. 7, 2005   Theresa Merrie Innes was allegedly killed in High Level and her body stuffed into a hockey bag and taken to Fort Saskatchewan.  The 36-year-old mother of two was last seen by officials in High Level on Aug. 7, 2005.  She wasn't reported missing to Edmonton police until March 16.   Thomas George Svekla has been charged with her murder.    The trial of Thomas George Svekla   Victim a 'lot more than a prostitute'   Victim missing 2 months     Another sex worker slain

Sheri Lee Hitlz, 44

April 9, 2005   The badly beaten body of Sheri Lee Hiltz was found in a back yard in the 800 block of Surrey Ave, Kamloops.   Pathologists used fingerprints to identify her.   Kamloops Crime stoppers

Ellie May Meyer, 33

May 6, 2005   A farmer tilling his field is discovered her body  just a few kilometres from where three city prostitutes have been found slain and dumped in Strathcona County  just east of Highway 21 and north of Township Road 534. 

A witness in the Nina Louise Courtepatte murder case testified she was told by police that the DNA of Joseph Laboucan had been found on the body of Ellie May Meyer, who disappeared two days before Nina was killed.  Police link deaths   DNA linked to Nina killer   Slain prostitute wanted to be a nurse

Charlene Marie Gauld, 20

April 16, 2005   Charlene Gauld, a 20-year-old Edmonton prostitute whose body was found in an oilfield near Camrose over the weekend had been burned, RCMP said Monday.  (CBC)

Rene Lynn Gunning, 19

Feb. 18, 2005  Rene Lynn Gunning and Krystle Ann Julia Knott were last seen at West Edmonton Mall on Feb. 18, 2005.  The girls made a connection, and let others know they planned to hitchhike back to Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.   Project KARE update Feb. 17, 2008

Krystle Ann Julia Knott, 16

Feb. 18, 2005   Rene Lynn Gunning and Krystle Ann Julia Knott were last seen at West Edmonton Mall on Feb. 18, 2005.  The girls made a connection, and let others know they planned to hitchhike back to Dawson Creek or Fort St. John.   Project KARE update Feb. 17, 2008

Samantha Tayleen Berg, 19

Jan. 25, 2005   The partially-clothed body of Samantha Berg, 19, was found frozen under snow in an industrial area parking lot on Jan. 25, 2005

Sharene Rae Oswald, 42

Sept. 2004   A positive identification has been made on the human remains discovered last month by local youths southeast of Airdrie.  The skeletal remains of Sharene Rae Oswald, 42, - a Calgary resident originally from Ontario, who also went by the last names of Williamson, Elliott and Pearson – were discovered Feb. 27 in a wooded area two kilometres south of Yankee Valley Road near Range Road 290. 

Lynn Minia Jackson, 34

June 21, 2004   The woman's skeletal remains were found by local hikers Monday night in a coulee area below the steep Chickadee hiking trail, about seven kilometres northeast of Wetaskiwin, not too far from Forster Nurseries on Range Road 233.    RCMP news release

Rachel Liz Quinney, 19

June 11, 2004   The body of Rachel Quinney, 19, was discovered by a man walking through a grove of trees south of Sherwood Park on the southwest corner of Township Road 540 and Range Road 224.   Rachel worked in the sex trade.   Thomas George Svekla has been charged with her murder.    The trial of Thomas George Svekla

Delores Dawn Brower, 33

May 13, 2004   Delores, a missing person, is described as a 33 year old Metis woman with long brown hair and brown eyes. She is 5'3' tall and weighs approximately 110 pounds. Delores was last seen on 118 Ave. & 70th St. by Project KARE members on the 13th of May, 2004 at 05:40 am.  At that time, she was hitch-hiking, attempting to get a ride west-bound on the avenue.   Thomas Svekla is a suspect in her homicide investigation.

Shana Ile LaBatte, 30

March 23, 2004   The body of Shana Ile LaBatte, age 30 years of Kamloops B.C.  body was located at Mission Flats Municipal Park.    Kamloops Crime stoppers    Police seek suspect in 2004 murder

Denise (Melissa) Heather Hamill, 31

August 1, 2003   The Kamloops RCMP are able to confirm the identification of the decease female who was found in the North Thompson river at Kamloops.  The female is identified as Denise Heather Hamill also known as Melissa Heather Hamill age 31 years, a resident of Kamloops.

Debbie Darlene, 29

April 12, 2003   The skull of Debbie Darlene (Lake) was found near Micquelon Lake, approximately 70km southeast of Edmonton.  A DNA match confirmed it was her August 28, 2003.   RCMP searched the area at the time but were unable to find the rest of her body. Without a body, experts have been unable to determine how she died.   Thomas Svekla is a suspect in her homicide investigation.

Melissa Munch, 20

Jan. 12, 2003  Melissa Munch's body was found in a field south of Highway 16, west of Range Road 220 in Strathcona County.  Her body was frozen and the cause of death has never been released.  Thomas Svekla is a suspect in her homicide investigation.

Monique Pitre, 30,

Jan. 8, 2003 Monique Pitre's body was spotted by a Fort Saskatchewan area farmer south of Township Road 540 and Range Road 222.  Her body was frozen and the cause of death has not been released but there was trauma to her entire body.   Thomas Svekla is a suspect in her homicide investigation.

Jessica Cardinal, 24

June 14, 1997  The body of Jessica Cardinal is found in an alley behind a commercial building at 9325-111th Avenue. Edmonton.  Her body is discovered behind a discarded shelving unit. 

Joanne Ghostkeeper, 24

Dec. 25, 1996  Joanne Ghostkeeper is found strangled in her Edmonton apartment at 11925-34th Street East. Police have no suspect in her death.

Elaine Ross, 25 

Feb. 11, 1993  The partially decomposed body of Elaine Ross is found stuffed under a bed in a motel room on 183rd Street near Stony Plain Road, Edmonton. Autopsy results were inconclusive and a cause of death is unknown.

Jennifer Janz, 16

Aug 1991   Janz's body was found in a shallow grave on Aug. 13, 1991, one month after she was reported missing.

Jennifer Joyes, 17

Joyes was reported missing Aug. 30, 1991. She was discovered murdered and buried in a shallow grave on Oct. 6, 1991, just two kilometres south of where Janz had been buried.  Both had reportedly been attempting to escape life on the streets.  RCMP probes 1991 slaying of Calgary prostitutes

Lorraine Wray, 46

Dec. 21, 1990   Lorraine Wray, a masseuse and mother of one, is found strangled in the bathroom of her Edmonton business, West End Studio, at 15526 Stony Plain Road. Several autopsies were performed, leading investigators to determine "manual strangulation" as the cause of death.

Mavis Mason, 29 

Oct. 25, 1990   Mavis Mason is found stabbed to death on a rural road west of Edmonton.

Melodie Joy Riegel, 21

Sept. 21, 1986   The body of Melodie Joy Riegel is found on a hotel-room bed. She was last seen entering the hotel with a client.

Gail Gardinal, 21

1983   The skeletal remains of Gail Cardinal are found 10 kilometres south of Fort Saskatchewan. No cause was determined in her death.

Sources:

Vancouver Eastside Missing Women    Missing/Murdered Native Women   Stolen Sisters

Project KARE

Edmonton's murdered women