Illegal US resident in Canada linked to murders of four young women through DNA evidence
The police believe that Gary Allen Srery killed two 14-year-old friends at a junior high school in 1976, then took the lives of two more women in 1977 – Melissa Rehorek and Barbara MacLean. The Alberta RCMP issued a statement on Friday revealing that Srery's criminal activity had spanned decades across multiple regions and assumed various pseudonyms. Allegedly, there could be more victims out there.
The initial investigations into the murders uncovered traces of DNA at the crime scenes, but due to a shortage of DNA technology back then, no connection was made with any suspect.
In 2003, about 30 years later, cops were finally able to connect Srery to Rehorek and MacLean's deaths through DNA evidence. Furthermore, in 2021, more tests on evidence gathered from the Dvorak and McQueen cases led to a connection with the DNA profiles of Rehorek and MacLean's killings.
The police declaration stated, "The same unknown male DNA profile was found on both victims, which matched the unknown male DNA profile from the Rehorek and MacLean murders." Based on this revelation, authorities suspected that the same male offender was responsible for killing all four victims.
The growth of forensic science and the use of forensic investigative genetic genealogy, that couples DNA analysis with conventional genealogy research, have led to more breakthroughs in DNA casework.
Srery, an American, died in an Idaho state prison in 2011 from natural causes while serving a sentence for rape. This individual's DNA was identified as matching the one found on all four Calgary victims with cooperation from Interpol and the Idaho State Police Forensic Services.
At the time of the crimes, Srery had fled the US in 1974 to avoid standing trial for a rape charge. Before residing in Calgary, he had a history of sexual offences in the United States, such as rape, kidnapping, burglary, and sex perversion.
From the mid-1970s up until his deportation in 2003, Srery lived in Alberta and British Columbia. He used different names, including Willy Blackman and Rex Long.
"For over 40 years, investigators have never stopped looking for the person responsible for these murders," said David Hall of the Alberta RCMP. He added, "We hope that knowing the identity of the perpetrator can bring closure to the families of the victims, even though their loved ones can't be brought back."
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The investigation into Srery's criminal activities revealed that his crimes weren't limited to a specific region in Canada, but spanned across 'the Americas'. The DNA evidence connected Srery to the murders of two women in the United States, thereby linking his criminal history to the 'world'.
Source: edition.cnn.com
