RCMP believes serial killer who once lived in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Cultus Lake may have committed other crimes

Eva Dvorak (14) and Patricia McQueen (14)

In 1976, Eva Dvorak and Patricia (Patsy) McQueen, both 14 years old, were junior high school students residing in Calgary. The teenagers were friends who spent time together in and outside of school. On the evening of Feb. 14, 1976, Eva and Patsy were last seen walking together in downtown Calgary.

Image: Alberta RCMP / Eva Dvorak.

On Feb. 15, 1976, at approximately 10:40 a.m., Dvorak and McQueen were found deceased under the Happy Valley Overpass on Highway 1, west of Calgary.

Image: Alberta RCMP / Patricia “Patsy” McQueen.

Melissa Rehorek (20)

In the spring of 1976, 20-year-old Melissa Rehorek relocated to Calgary from Ontario. At the time of her death, Rehorek was employed as a housekeeper and living at the YWCA in downtown Calgary. Rehorek was last seen on the evening of Sept. 15, 1976, by a roommate. She had intended on hitchhiking out of the city during her days off.

Image: Alberta RCMP / Melissa Rehorek.

On Sept. 16, 1976, at approximately 10:50 am, her body was located in a ditch on what is now known as Township Road 252, approximately 22 kilometres west of Calgary.

Barbara MacLean (19)

In 1977, Barbara MacLean was 19 years old. Originally from Nova Scotia, Barbara had moved to Calgary six months prior and was working at a local bank. On Feb. 25, 1977, Barbara attended the Highlander Hotel bar in Calgary with friends. She was last observed walking alone from the hotel in the early hours of Feb. 26, 1977. Her body was discovered by a dog walker in the area of 6^th Street and 80^th Avenue NE, Calgary, approximately six hours later.

Police say autopsies were conducted on all four victims. The medical examiner was unable to determine the cause of death for Eva Dvorak and Patsy McQueen. Consequently, their deaths were not ruled homicides, but rather investigated as sudden deaths. Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean’s cause of death was asphyxiation due to manual strangulation.

Image: Alberta RCMP / Barbara MacLean.

Exhibits seized from all four victims were submitted to the RCMP’s National Forensic Lab Services for testing. Although seminal fluid was discovered at all three crime scenes, the technology did not exist to develop a DNA profile at the time.

From the onset, similarities between Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean’s deaths led investigators to believe the same suspect was responsible for both homicides.

Over the past 40 years, the Alberta RCMP say they have exhausted investigational means in an effort to identify the person(s) responsible for these tragic deaths. These files were never terminated and were continually being reassessed under the lens of new information, advancement in technology, and adaptation of new police techniques.

In 2003, by virtue of enhanced DNA analysis, police were able to confirm the same suspect was linked to both Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean’s murders through DNA. At that time, the suspect’s DNA was compared against the National DNA Databank without a match. The profile was uploaded into the databank and went without a hit for over 20 years.

Police say that when a tool known as investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) became available, the Alberta RCMP were hopeful they could identify the unknown DNA contributor linked to the Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean homicides.

In 2021, the RCMP and CPS formed a true partnership to use IGG to successfully identify the suspect.

RCMP investigators re-examined the exhibits that they had seized over 45 years ago. They worked with the RCMP lab and Parabon NanoLabs to formulate a single nucleotide polymorphisms profile that was in turn uploaded to GEDMatch and FamilyTreeDNA.

Genealogists from Convergence IGG were able to start building a family tree based on the SNP profile while CPS consulted with them and completed target testing to help drive the genealogy portion forward. When target testing was complete, Convergence IGG was able to provide a suspect hypothesis.

Analytical queries confirmed the suspect’s connection to Canada and that he had a criminal record of committing violent acts against women.

The resulting investigation, which took RCMP investigators throughout Alberta, British Columbia and several US states confirmed this hypothesis.

During this same time, crime scene evidence was resubmitted to the lab from the Dvorak and McQueen investigation. The same unknown male DNA profile was identified on both victims that matched the unknown male DNA profile from the Rehorek and MacLean murders. In light of this new information, the RCMP believed that the same male offender was responsible for the deaths of all four victims.

The RCMP, utilizing the information provided through IGG, began a cross border investigation into American citizen, Gary Allen Srery, who was born in 1942. Srery died of natural causes in an Idaho State prison in 2011 while serving a sentence for rape. With assistance from Interpol and Idaho State Police Forensic Services, Srery’s DNA was confirmed as a match to the unknown male DNA profile present on all four Calgary victims.

The Alberta RCMP believe Gary Allen Srery is responsible for the murders of Patsy McQueen, Eva Dvorak, Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean.

Through the background investigation into Srery, members of the Alberta RCMP Historical Homicide Unit (HHU) were able to establish the following:

Gary Allen Srery was a U.S. citizen who was residing illegally in Canada at the time of the murders;
Prior to coming to Calgary, Srery had an extensive criminal record in the United States for sex-related offences including forcible rape, kidnapping, burglary and sexual perversion;
Srery appeared to flee the U.S. sometime during 1974 after posting bail for a rape charge in California;
Srery lived under aliases in Calgary in 1976 and 1977 that included, but were not limited to, Willy Blackman and Rex Long;
Srery lived a transient lifestyle and worked occasionally under the table as a cook;
Srery was adept at frequently changing his appearance, place of residence and vehicles; and
Srery lived in Alberta and British Columbia from the mid to late 1970s up until 2003 when he was deported.

Srery’s criminality spanned multiple decades, over multiple jurisdictions, under numerous aliases, and the Alberta RCMP believe there may be more victims.

“We are asking the public to assist in further establishing Srery’s timeline in Canada,” Alberta RCMP wrote in its news release. “If you recognize Gary Srery or knew him by one of his many aliases, the Alberta RCMP want to hear from you. For tips, please contact the Alberta RCMP Historical Crime Unit via K-IDEOLOGY@rcmp-grc.gc.ca or by phone at 780-509-3306.”

Police say they have never wavered in their investigations spanning over four decades.

“For over forty years, investigators did not give up in their pursuit to identify those responsible for these murders,” said Superintendent David Hall, Officer in Charge of the Alberta RCMP’s Serious Crimes Branch. “Identifying the perpetrator does not bring Eva, Patsy, Melissa or Barbara back. It is our hope however, that the families are finally able to have some answers as to what happened to their loved ones all of those years ago.”

“Regardless of how much time has passed, we remain relentless in pursuing justice for all Calgarians,” said Insp. Kevin Forsen of the CPS Major Crimes Section. “In this case, our investigators dedicated countless hours lending their Investigative Genetic Genealogy expertise to the RCMP and are grateful to have played a part in finding answers for the family. To the families and friends of other unsolved homicide victims – the Alberta RCMP would like to assure you that no case is ever closed and that investigators are tirelessly invested in pushing files forward through the use of new technology, partnerships, and new information.”

The RCMP extended thanks to Calgary Police Service and Convergence Investigative Genetic Genealogy for their assistance and support throughout the course of this investigation.

by Mike Vanden Bosch

RCMP believes serial killer who once lived in Chilliwack, Abbotsford and Cultus Lake may have committed other crimes

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