Victims' families react after RCMP link serial killer to historic Calgary murders

Four families are taking action after the Alberta Mounties released information about a decades-old murder that left four young women and a girl dead in Calgary.

The RCMP made the announcement on Friday DNA evidence links the death to a serial killer and a convicted sex offender with an extensive criminal history in Canada and the United States.

Alberta RCMP say they have been identified through advances in DNA genealogy technology more than 45 years after the 2011 slaying of Gary Allen Sreri, who died in Idaho at age 68.

Investigators say Sreri was responsible for the 1976-1977 deaths of 20-year-old Melissa Rehorek, 19-year-old Barbara McLean, 14-year-old Eva Dvorak and 14-year-old Patricia McQueen.

According to the police, the parents of the four deceased are dead, but the siblings and other living relatives have been updated.

Eva Dvorak and Patricia McQueen were last seen walking together in downtown Calgary in February 1976, and the pair were found dead a day later under an overpass in west Calgary.

Statement by the Dvorak family

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Eva's family would like to thank the Alberta RCMP Historic Homicide Unit for their time and dedication to solving this cold case. It will help us answer some of our long-unknown questions and give us some closure.

Eva was loved by her family and all who knew her. Her bright smile and bubbly personality were infectious and would brighten up any room. When Eva was with him, he would not sit still, he would dance and sing at any time of the day. She enjoyed spending time with her sisters and cousins ​​while swimming, ice skating and ice skating.

He is truly loved and greatly missed.

McQueen's family statement

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We want to sincerely thank the team of individuals who worked so many days and countless hours to solve this cold case…without them we still don't know what happened to our sister Patsy (Patricia) and her friend Eva. . We are thankful and grateful that they never gave up on the girls.

Special thanks to Constable Denise Halwadzia, Constable Lindsey Blair and Sergeant Melanie Riopel for the way they communicated the details of the events leading up to their deaths to our families. They were very professional, caring and compassionate. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

It has been 48 years since our sister Patsy (Patricia) was taken from us. As the years passed, we thought we would never know what happened on that terrible day, but we never gave up hope that one day we would know the answers and finally find some comfort and closure.

Our sister Patsy was born on September 2, 1961 to our loving parents, Allister and Sarah McQueen. Patsy (Patricia) was one of 11 children (6 sisters and 4 brothers). Patsy was taken from us suddenly and tragically on February 15, 1976 at the age of 14. Patsy would have turned 62 today.

Patsy was a typical teenager, full of life, adventure and curiosity. He loved sports, baseball being his favorite. She also loved music and loved to sing and dance. He also loved to joke and play with you. He made us all laugh at ourselves or each other in one way or another. She was very strong and independent at the age of fourteen. He couldn't wait until he was old enough to travel and see the world, but an evil monster took away all his hopes and dreams.

We've always wondered what Patsy's life would have been like…what career path would she have chosen, would she have been lucky enough to get married, have children, and become a grandmother?

In closing, our deepest condolences go out to the other families involved in this case and we hope you can find some comfort and closure after all these years. This evil monster has brought so much pain and suffering to countless families. When our loved ones were taken away, a piece of us was taken away. Thank God he is no longer alive and can no longer harm anyone.

Patsy… We love and miss you and you will forever be in our hearts. Rest in peace our beautiful sister.

Rehorek Family Statement

Melissa Rehorek was last seen by her roommate in September 1976, and her body was found the next day about 20 km west of Calgary.

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First, we would like to thank the team of investigators who worked to find the person responsible for these crimes.

Our message is that Melissa is a fun-loving, adventurous and hard-working person. He was an honest positive person who believed in people. He enjoyed traveling to Banff for his love of nature, but also for his interest in seeing Canada.

Our family appreciates all your help.

McLean's family statement

Barbara McLean was last seen walking home alone after leaving a bar with friends in February 1977. Her body was found hours later in northeast Calgary.

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Today marks a milestone in a long journey for justice for our daughter, sister, aunt, cousin and niece, Barbara Jean McLean – one that began nearly 50 years ago. The pain of the tragic loss of Barbara has been a constant in our lives, but recent events have given us answers to questions we have had to live with all these years.

Our family extends our condolences to the Rehorek, Dvorak and McQueen families. We are a family of four – the worst kind of pain and suffering in years. We hope that we can all find peace in the coming days. Thanks to the police's relentless pursuit of justice and the remarkable advances in forensic genetic genealogy, these four historic cases have been resolved.

We sincerely thank the dedicated detectives, forensic experts, and everyone involved in these cases who never gave up. Their commitment not only honors the memory of Barbara Jean McLean, but also serves as a beacon of hope for other families still searching for answers. This breakthrough reaffirms our belief in the power of persistence and the importance of embracing scientific advances in law enforcement. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the RCMP K-Division Historic Homicide Unit and the Calgary Police Service Cold Case Homicide Unit.

We know that these officers, like us, work diligently every day on many historic cases. Thank you is not enough. Our family is deeply grateful for their loyalty, professionalism, and most of all, kindness. It is not an easy or always comfortable service industry. They are real heroes.

We ask for privacy and respect as we take this time to reflect on our journey and remember Barbara. We are grateful to the authorities for their compassion in allowing us to participate in this process and contribute to this statement.