the canadian province of alberta has seen its share of tragic events, including several unsolved murders that have haunted families and baffled investigators for decades.
these cases, often labeled as "cold cases," remain open, with law enforcement agencies continuously seeking new leads and leveraging advancements in forensic science to bring closure to the victims' loved ones. this article delves into some of these complex cases, exploring the details of the investigations, the challenges faced, and the breakthroughs that have brought renewed hope for justice.
a tragic family dispute
one case involves a family dispute that tragically escalated.
the details surrounding the events portray a violent altercation. the younger man allegedly physically attacked his father, which was supported by photographic evidence. later, the father, after some time, returned with a weapon.
the first shot proved fatal, piercing the victim's heart, as well as his lung, liver, stomach, and left kidney.
the father then walked closer, shooting his already lifeless son at point-blank range. this scenario highlights the devastating impact of family conflict and the often-unpredictable nature of violence.
the phenomenon of filicide, where parents kill their children, is a disturbing aspect of crime.
studies show that the majority of filicides involve young children, but adult children are also victims. in cases of adult filicide, the father is more often the perpetrator. the motivations behind this type of crime can vary, with anger and jealousy playing a significant role.
violence is often a factor in these instances.
the use of firearms, stabbings, or head injuries is common, as noted by research in forensic science international. in this specific case, the father claimed self-defense, citing fear of his son.
after the tragic incident, the father, seemingly unfazed, returned to the crime scene following his release on bail, choosing to live in the place where he had committed the act.
the divorce process began, but ultimately ended in a separation. before the trial, a brain tumor was discovered and removed, but any potential relief was short-lived. in this specific case, despite the discovery of seminal fluid at multiple crime scenes, the technology to develop a dna profile was not yet available.
the haunting cases of melissa rehorek and barbara maclean
over the past four decades, the royal canadian mounted police (rcmp) in alberta worked tirelessly to identify the individuals responsible for a series of tragic deaths.
these cases were never closed. investigators constantly reassessed them, considering new information, technological advancements, and evolving police techniques. this dedication highlights the commitment to seeking justice for victims, even years after the crimes occurred.
in the face of these challenges, the rcmp persisted in their investigations.
in this case, similarities between the deaths of melissa rehorek and barbara maclean led investigators to suspect the involvement of the same person. these two cases would ultimately intertwine.
in time, advancements in dna analysis provided a crucial breakthrough.
police were able to confirm the same suspect was linked to both rehorek and maclean's murders through dna evidence. initially, the suspect's dna was compared against the national dna databank, but there was no match. this prompted the need for different approaches.
the profile was uploaded into the databank and went without a hit for over 20 years.
when investigative genetic genealogy (igg) became available, the alberta rcmp saw a new avenue for solving these cold cases. this innovative technique offered a way to trace the dna back to a family tree, which provided a potential means of identifying the suspect.
a partnership for justice
in , the rcmp and the calgary police service (cps) formed a collaborative partnership to utilize igg to successfully identify the suspect.
this partnership underscored the importance of collaboration in solving complex cases. rcmp investigators re-examined evidence seized decades earlier. they worked alongside the rcmp lab and parabon nanolabs to create a single nucleotide polymorphisms (snp) profile, which was then uploaded to gedmatch and familytreedna.
genealogists from convergence igg began constructing a family tree based on the snp profile. the cps consulted with these experts and conducted target testing to aid the genealogy portion of the investigation. the resulting investigation took rcmp investigators across alberta, british columbia, and several u.s.
states.
analytical queries confirmed the suspect's connection to canada and revealed a criminal record involving violent acts against women. this information proved pivotal in directing the investigation. at the same time, crime scene evidence was resubmitted to the lab from the dvorak and mcqueen investigations.
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, using the information obtained through igg, launched a cross-border investigation into gary allen srery, a u.s.
citizen. srery died of natural causes in an idaho state prison while serving a sentence for rape. working with interpol and idaho state police forensic services, srery's dna was confirmed as a match to the unknown male dna profile found on all four calgary victims. this discovery brought closure to the families of the victims.
the victims and the suspect
the alberta rcmp believes gary allen srery is responsible for the murders of patsy mcqueen, eva dvorak, melissa rehorek, and barbara maclean.
through the background investigation into srery, the rcmp historical homicide unit (hhu) established his criminal history, which spanned decades and multiple jurisdictions, with the use of numerous aliases. the rcmp suspects there may be more victims associated with srery.
the rcmp is asking for the public's help in establishing srery's timeline in canada.
anyone who recognizes gary srery or knows him by any of his aliases is urged to contact the alberta rcmp historical crime unit. this request for public assistance highlights the ongoing effort to gather all available information and potentially identify additional victims.
for tips, contact the alberta rcmp historical crime unit via k-ideology rcmp-grc.ca or by phone at .
if you believe srery may be associated with or responsible for a crime in your jurisdiction, contact the relevant policing agency. the goal is to provide answers to the families of the victims.
these investigations showcase the dedication of law enforcement and the power of scientific advancements in bringing closure to families impacted by cold cases.
the relentless pursuit of justice, combined with technological breakthroughs, offers hope that more unsolved crimes will be brought to light.