Police link US rapists to the murders of four young Canadian women in the 1970s

May 18 (UPI) – Federal police in Alberta say a U.S. citizen convicted of rape was behind the murders of four women in the Canadian province in the 1970s.

Officials with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police confirmed Friday that DNA links a man to the murders of the four women, all of which occurred around the southern Alberta city of Calgary.

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Eva Dvorak and Patricia McQueen were both 14 years old when they were found dead in February 1976. The two were last seen together before disappearing. Their bodies were found close together under a highway overpass.

The body of 20-year-old Melissa Rehorek was found later that year, while 19-year-old Barbara MacLean was killed in 1977.

Police confirmed that DNA linked all four cases to Gary Allen Srery, a US citizen. Srery died of natural causes in an Idaho prison in 2011 while serving a sentence for rape.

Srery lived a transient life while moving through parts of Alberta and neighboring British Columbia between the mid-to-late 1970s and 2003, when he was deported.

Initial autopsies on Dvorak and McQueen did not reveal a cause of death, so the medical examiner ruled out murder at the time. Instead, they were investigated as sudden deaths until the Alberta RCMP Historical Homicide Unit took over the files decades later.

Police attributed the solving of the case to “forensic evidence, witness statements and similar factual evidence.” They also used forensic genealogy to create a family tree that helped identify Srery more precisely.

If he were still alive, Srery would have to be charged with murder in all four cases that have made international headlines.

“For nearly 50 years, investigators have not given up on identifying the man responsible for these murders,” RCMP Supt. David Hall said during a news conference Friday.

“Identifying the perpetrator will not bring back Eva, Patsy, Melissa or Barbara, but I truly hope their families finally get answers about what happened to their loved ones all those years ago.”

Authorities believe Srery, who was born in 1942, may also be behind other murders during his time in Canada.

“Srery’s criminality spanned decades, across multiple jurisdictions and under numerous aliases, and the Alberta RCMP believes there may be more victims,” ​​the RCMP said in its statement Friday.

“We ask the public to help further establish Srery’s schedule in Canada. If you recognize Gary Srery or knew him by one of his many aliases, the Alberta RCMP wants to hear from you. If you believe that Srery may be associated with or responsible for a crime in your jurisdiction, we ask that you contact the police department in that jurisdiction to report it.”