Alberta man charged in second prostitute’s slaying

CBC News

An Alberta man has been charged in the death of a second prostitute whose remains were discovered east of Edmonton.

Thomas Svekla will appear in court Thursday on a second degree murder charge in the death of 19-year-old Rachel Quinney, RCMP with Project Kare announced Tuesday.)

Police allege Svekla reported the discovery of Quinney's body in a wooded area northeast of Sherwood Park, an Edmonton suburb, on June 11, 2004.

Svekla had already been charged with second-degree murder in the death of Teresa Innes, 36, whose body was discovered in a hockey bag in a home in Fort Saskatchewan, east of Edmonton, in May of last year.

"We have maintained right from the beginning that we have reason to believe that more than one person is responsible for more than one death," RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes told a news conference called to announce the latest murder charge.

Project Kare involves RCMP and Edmonton police members investigating more than 70 cases of missing and murdered women living high-risk lifestyles in Alberta.

Police won't say if Svekla is being investigated in connection with other cases.

"There are oodles of persons of interest for varying degrees of interest," Oakes told reporters. "Whether they're suspects, witnesses, whatever they are, I cannot stand here and go into that depth of explanation or provide to you even an indication of who those people may or may not be."

Known on the street as Candace

Quinney was known to police as an Edmonton prostitute who went by the street name of Candace. She was last seen on May 28, 2004. Her body was discovered nearly two weeks later, and police pleaded with the public for tips about Quinney's hangouts and acquaintances.

Svekla has also been charged with interfering with human remains in connection with both women's deaths.

Police have alleged someone known to Svekla might have unwittingly given him a ride on the 700-kilometre trip from northern Alberta's High Level to Fort Saskatchewan as he transported Innes's remains in a hockey bag.

His preliminary hearing on the charges in Innes's death is set to begin Jan. 8.