Alberta RCMP link four Calgary murders to serial killer

The next morning, their bodies were found under the Happy Valley overpass on Highway 1 west of the city.

Melissa Rehorek

In the spring of 1976, 20-year-old Melissa Rehorek moved to Calgary, found work as a housekeeper and lived at the YWCA in downtown Calgary.

Rehorek was last seen on the evening of September 15, 1976 by a roommate. Police say he was trying to hitchhike out of town and his body was found in a ditch about 22 kilometers west of Calgary on what is now Township Road 252.

Barbara McLean

Barbara McLean, 19, moved from Nova Scotia to Calgary in 1976 to work at a local bank.

On February 25, 1977, Barbara went to the Highlander Hotel bar in Calgary with friends. He was last seen walking alone from a hotel on February 26, and his body was found six hours later by a dog walker in northeast Calgary.

After their deaths, autopsies were performed on all four victims, and while the medical examiner determined the cause of death for Rehorek and McLean to be strangulation, he was unable to determine the cause of death for Dvorak and McQueen. Seminal fluid was found at all three crime scenes, where DNA profiling technology was not available at the time.

Investigators believe Rehorek and McLean were killed by the same person due to similar deaths.

In 2003, thanks to advances in technology, police were able to confirm through DNA analysis that the same suspect was involved in the deaths of Rehorek and McLean. However, despite this understanding, the DNA was inconsistent until 2021.

When a tool called Investigative Genetic Genealogy (IGG) became available that year, the RCMP and the Calgary Police Service (CPS) partnered to try to find a match. When the target testing was complete, Convergence IGG was able to provide a possible suspect.

Around the same time, crime scene evidence from Dvorak and McQueen's investigation was sent back to the lab and matched DNA found in the murders of Rehorek and McLean, leading the RCMP to conclude that they committed all four murders. that person.

RCMP have launched a cross-border investigation into Gary Allen Sreri, who died in 2011 while serving a prison sentence for sexual assault. With the help of Interpol and the Idaho State Police, Sreri's DNA was matched to DNA found at the crime scene, leading Alberta RCMP to believe Sreri killed all four victims.

Sreri was a United States citizen with an extensive criminal record for sex crimes who was living illegally in Canada. He fled the United States in 1974 after posting bail on sexual assault charges and lived under aliases in Calgary in 1976 and 1977. These aliases included Willie Blackman, Gary Delorme and Rex Long.

Police say he worked as an under-the-counter cook and was adept at changing his appearance, residence and vehicle frequently. He lived in Alberta and British Columbia before being deported in 2003.

Superintendent David Hall, the officer in charge of the Alberta RCMP's serious crimes division, said: “Identifying the perpetrator will not bring back Eva, Patsy, Melissa or Barbara. However, we hope the families can get answers about what happened to their loved ones all those years ago.”

Due to Sreeri's appearance and history of changing aliases, RCMP believe there may be more victims. Anyone who believes Sreri is involved in crime in their area is asked to contact local police.

The RCMP is also trying to build its timeline entirely in Canada. Anyone who recognizes Gary Sreri or knows him by an alias is asked to call 780-509-3306 or email the Alberta RCMP Historic Crime Unit at [email protected].