deadmonton 2006 - thomas george svekla
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On May 9th, 2006 Thomas George Svekla was charged with second-degree murder and indecently interfering with human remains in connection with the death of Theresa Merrie Innes (far left).
On January 2nd, 2007 Thomas George Svekla was charged with second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a human body in connection with the death of Rachel Liz Quinney.
On May 24th, 2007 Svekla was charged with sexual assault and threatening to kill a woman at or near Edmonton between August 1st, 2002, and June 30th, 2004.
On July 5th, 2007 Svekla was charged with sexually assaulting and sexually interfering with a girl under the age of 14 at or near Edmonton between May 30th and December 28th, 1995.
After a January 2007 preliminary hearing found there was enough evidence, Svekla was ordered to face the murder charges in a trial that began on February 19th, 2008.
latest update
ongoing developments |
Svekla's background
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the Quinney connections |
the andrew hanon article
1995 sexual assault charge |
2002 sexual assault charge |
2004 hit and run charge
2005 assault charge |
2006 threats charge |
2006 assault charge
preliminary hearing |
edmonton journal article |
interrogation tapes
trial |
timeline |
svekla's secrets
“At this point in time we have one person charged in one death.”
Those were the words of RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes as he faced an agressive media fray on May 9th, 2006 – addressing issues surrounding the death of Theresa Merrie Innes whose body had just been found near a Fort Saskatchewan home.
Eighteen months later, Oakes faced another media fray and announced on January 2nd, 2007 that Thomas George Svekla fit the profile of a serial killer.
The RCMP had just announced Svekla was also charged with the murder of Rachel Liz Quinney.
The charges were the first to be laid by the Project KARE task force looking into the murders and disappearances of more than seventy women over the past several decades.
The name of Thomas George Svekla first entered public awareness after RCMP acted on a tip and found the body of Innes, a 36-year-old sex-trade worker, near a residence in the Pineview district of the Fort Saskatchewan bedroom community northeast of Edmonton.
Svekla was soon charged with second-degree murder and indecently interfering with human remains.
Interest in the case fueled speculation that progress has been made in the investigation of over a dozen unsolved deaths of prostitutes whose bodies have been found in the greater Edmonton area over the past several decades.
While a cause of death wasn’t released, police confirmed Innes had been reported missing earlier in 2006 but wasn't one of 400 sex-trade workers who registered their DNA with Project KARE.
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Police didn't indicate whether her body was found in the house or outside of it, or how long it had been there.
Court documents obtained by the media revealed the homicide took place at or near High Level sometime between May 4th and 7th, 2006 – more than 700 kilometres from where her body was found. This initial timeline was later revised.
For more about the victim Svekla was first charged with, visit the Theresa Merrie Innes page.
Ongoing Developments
- May 11th, 2006
Svekla makes unusual first court appearance; an Edmonton Sun reporter relates his encounter with the suspect; Svekla's last steps are traced. - May 12th, 2006
Svekla makes court appearance to answer outstanding driving charges; date Innes last seen revised. - May 15th, 2006
Four vehicles belonging to Svekla seized from a farm. - May 16th, 2006
Human remains are found near Fort Saskatchewan. - May 24th, 2006
Project KARE team expands; Ralph Klein expresses concern. - May 25th, 2006
Svekla's plea date set over to June 8th, 2006. - May 26th, 2006
Police narrow down death time frame; family of victim Cara King speak out. - June 7th, 2006
RCMP lead media on 'crime scene' tour and release photos and additional information. - June 8th, 2006
Preliminary hearing dates set. - June 25th, 2006
Sex assault near 'dumping ground.' - August 31st, 2006
Svekla appears in a High Level courtroom; told to submit DNA. - October 2nd, 2006
Svekla is sentenced for threatening to kill a High Level man. - January 2nd, 2007
RCMP charge Svekla with second-degree murder in connection with Rachel Quinney's death. - January 4th, 2007
Svekla appears in court, charges are combined. - January 8th, 2007
Preliminary hearing begins. - January 19th, 2007
The Edmonton Journal reports on their challenge to keep two reporters from having to appear as witnesses. - February 8th, 2007
Preliminary hearing judge rules murder trial to proceed. - May 24th, 2007
Svekla faces new charges. - July 5th, 2007
Svekla faces two new charges involving a girl under the age of 14. - September 6th, 2007
Assault charges are stayed when police lose evidence. - February 19th, 2008
Svekla goes on trial for two counts of second-degree murder. - February 21st, 2008
Another dead prostitute found. - June 3rd, 2008
Verdicts rendered. - June 8th, 2008
Svekla's secrets.
May 11th, 2006
The Edmonton Sun reported that Svekla claimed to have discovered the dead body of prostitute Rachel Quinney in June of 2004.
The Sun's Andrew Hanon (left) said Svekla told him he'd taken a prostitute to a remote area northeast of Sherwood Park to do drugs. For some reason, the prostitute bolted from his pick-up. Svekla gave chase and they came across Quinney's body.
Svekla claimed he waited two days before reporting the body to police and had asked Hanon's help in clearing his name. Svekla told the reporter late in 2004 that Project KARE had placed him under a microscope.
It was the only time Svekla met with Hanon and the RCMP refused to confirm or deny any of what Svekla had told the reporter.
Cpl. Wayne Oakes said he "won't confirm or deny Svekla was on the radar ... or any of Andrew Hanon's story."
“We are not in a position to discuss it,” he said, citing legal restriction.
Hanon described Svekla as a person "whom if you passed on the street you’d probably think was an accountant or insurance adjuster."
The Sun columnist's entire article can be read here.
Thomas Svekla made a brief court appearance to face formal charges. While the hearing lasted barely five minutes, Svekla's behaviour was likely to make a more lasting impression.
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Arriving in the back of an RCMP cruiser, Svekla seemed delighted at the media's presence and offered several thumbs ups as he pressed his face to the glass.
In court it was revealed that the Crown had altered the charges against Svekla. The prosecutor heading the Project KARE task force, Clifton Purvis, asked the judge to amend the charges.
Svekla is now charged with killing Innes and interfering with her remains sometime between August 7th, 2005 and May 8th, 2006.
Previously the dates on the charges were May 4th to May 8th, 2006.
During the brief hearing, the accused appeared confident while standing in the prisoner’s box, gazing around the courtroom with a slight smile on his lips as he searched for familiar faces.
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Leaving the courthouse, Svekla smiled with a single finger pressed to his lips as if to shush the reporters and camera crews
As the marked police vehicle pulled away Svekla was last seen waving to the media from the back of the car.
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Thomas Svekla was remanded in custody and was set to appear in Fort Saskatchewan provincial court again on May 25th, 2006 to enter a plea on the murder charges.
Crown prosecutor Clifton Purvis said the case will stay in Fort Saskatchewan for now because many of the witnesses may be from the area.
After the hearing, defence lawyers Robert Shaigec and Laura Stevens said outside court that media speculation Svekla may be a serial killer is unfair.
“There appears to be a terrible rush to judgment, and rushes to judgment almost always appear to be wrong,” Shaigec said.
“Mr. Svekla has the right to a fair trial,” Stevens said. “There has been a tremendous amount of rumour and speculation reported in the media. It’s unfair to him, and it’s critical that it stop.”
It remained to be seen whether Stevens has any success in discouraging her client from providing the media with opportunities to speculate on his mental state.
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Wayne Oakes said the new dates on Svekla's charge reflect the fact that Innes was last reported seen on August 7, 2005, in High Level. He said the dates could change again if police find out that Innes was seen alive more recently than last August.
Oakes also said the medical examiner’s office hasn’t yet told police how Innes died.
The Edmonton Sun interviewed several persons who were able to trace Svekla's steps in the days before his arrest.
Jacqueline Lantz, manager of the Sweet Dreams motel on 97th Street in High Level, checked Svekla into a room on Friday, May 5th. Lantz said Svekla didn't have a vehicle.
"I don't usually let backpackers in, but this time I did. He was a clean-cut guy, anybody would have let him in," she added.
Lantz said around 6 p.m. that evening, a woman joined Svekla in his room. He left the motel Saturday morning but Lantz didn't see whether the woman was with him.
Police searched the room Svekla had used later on May 9th.
On Sunday, May 7th, Svekla reportedly walked to a neighbour's home in Fort Saskatchewan to talk to him about a vintage car for sale.
Svekla and Malcolm Short had a conversation and Short reflected "Nothing seemed to be worrying him."
"He's a very nice, personable person, like the kind of guy you could call a friend. He's innocent until he's proven guilty," said Short.
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May 12th, 2006
Svekla appeared in court in Edmonton to face ten charges including dangerous driving after he allegedly went through a checkstop in a stolen 1987 Buick LeSabre, hit three other cars and fled on foot. Unlike his appearance the day before in Fort Saskatchewan, Svekla's demeanor was subdued » full details »
RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes announced that police had received word Theresa Innes was last seen in High Level on September 5th, 2005. Police had earlier determined she was last seen alive August 7th.
However, the Edmonton Journal spoke to persons in High Level who said they last saw Innes alive two months before she was found dead in Fort Saskatchewan.
In an interview with the Edmonton Sun, Theresa's brother Mike Innes said that when he viewed her body, she appeared to have been dead less than a week.
The Sun also ran a story quoting Jack Levin, director of the Brudnick Center on Conflict and Violence at Boston's Northeastern University.
Levin said for one individual to be connected to two separate deaths (Innes and Quinney) is extremely suspect.
"The police probably don't have enough evidence to connect him with another murder, but it seems like an unlikely coincidence he'd be involved with two of the victims," he said.
"I guess anything is possible but It seems an unlikely story to me and not one police are apt to believe," Levin added.
The Sun reported that Levin said serial killers tend to be middle-aged men – in their 30s or 40s – who kill for the feeling of power and dominance. He also said many serial killers are, in appearance, the last person one would suspect.
In 2005, Project KARE released a profile of the Edmonton-area killer. The profile and an interactive map highlighting the related deaths can be found at CBC News Online's Edmonton's Murdered Women web site.
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May 15th, 2006
CTV Edmonton carried an exclusive story about four vehicles seized from a wrecking yard northeast of Edmonton.
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CTV reported that on May 12th police served a search warrant on an undisclosed property where Thomas Svekla's sister had four of her brother's vehicles stored while he was in prison.
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Police seized three sedans (including a Ford LTD, a Buick and a car used for parts) and a Ford Bronco 4x4 .
The vehicles appeared to have been stored in the yard for three to four years and were taken to a police forensic garage in Edmonton.
In an off-camera interview, a person who saw the search warrant said he saw the names of three women on the document – one of them being Rachel Quinney.
The owner of the yard said his company's only connection to the accused is that he used to sell him car parts years ago.
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A source close to the Last Link has learned that it was Svekla's sister who tipped off police, and that Innes' body was found in a pickup truck at her residence.
The source also reports police are looking for a person thought to be an accomplice as well as two other vehicles Svekla owned – a white Ford club cab pickup truck and a car described as 'a piece of crap.'
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May 16th, 2006
Just after noon on May 16th, 2006 a young couple walking in a farmer's field just two kilometers south of Fort Saskatchewan came across the dead body of a woman in a wooded area.
The farm is located near Range Road 225 and Township Road 542, an area where numerous bodies of Edmonton sex-trade workers have been found over the last two decades.
The body of Rachel Quinney was found by Svekla on June 11th, 2004 seven kilometers southeast of the current site.
The body of Ellie-May Meyer was found May 6th, 2005 twenty-one kilometers south of the latest discovery.
Strathcona County RCMP confirmed the Project KARE task force was involved in the investigation but were not linking the death to any other ongoing investigation.
RCMP later identified the woman as 37-year-old Bonnie Lynn Jack of Edmonton. She was described as a part-time sex trade worker » full details »
Following the CTV Edmonton story of Svekla's vehicles being seized, the RCMP would neither confirm or deny the confiscation or comment on the statement that three women's names appeared on the search warrant.
When CTV cameras returned to the forensics garage on May 16th, brown paper was placed over the windows, obstructing the view of the vehicles.
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The Edmonton Journal reported that on May 8th RCMP searched two rooms of the Family Motel in High Level and towed a red and silver pickup truck with a silver canopy from the Fountain Tire lot where Svekla had worked as a mechanic until earlier this year.
The truck had been parked on the Fountain Tire lot for the past few months.
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May 24th, 2006
RCMP spokesman Cpl. Wayne Oakes announced the force added sixteen extra Mounties to help Project KARE investigate the cases of the two latest Edmonton prostitutes found dead.
The extra officers are from general investigations sections, Edmonton Major Crimes and general policing units.
Oakes said the lead investigator asked for the extra staff as Project KARE handles each of the "large number" of tips from the public on the Jack and Innes cases.
"Every tip is investigated," said Oakes.
Alberta Premier Ralph Klein called the slayings tragic and hoped police would soon catch the killer or killers responsible for the slayings.
"It's terrible. I only hope that they find the culprit who is committing these awful murders."
"I know (prostitutes) live a high-risk lifestyle, but still it's no excuse for anyone to conduct violence whether they're prostitutes or not," Klein told the Edmonton Sun.
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May 25th, 2006
On the date Thomas Svekla was scheduled to appear in court to enter a plea, lawyers for the Crown and the defence asked for a delay.
Crown prosecutor Clifton Purvis told the court in Fort Saskatchewan that it needs more time to disclose evidence to the defence.
Svekla did not appear in court and will not have to appear in person on June 8th, 2006 – the date the case was put over to.
Purvis said Svekla was entitled to appear in court if he wished, but must appear when the Crown calls evidence against him, likely at a preliminary inquiry.
Reporters for the Edmonton Sun visited the two-story home of Svekla’s parents in Fort Saskatchewan for comment.
No one answered the door but the handwritten sign telling media to leave the property had been taken down since Svekla’s last court date.
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May 26th, 2006
As the RCMP waded through tips from the public they narrowed down the time frame for when Innes died.
Police announced that Innes was seen alive in High Level as recently as early January 2006. They had previously said she was last seen alive on September 5th, 2005.
The RCMP said the January date was established as a result of information coming from the public at large. Police said they still want to hear from anyone who may have had contact with Innes more recently.
The Edmonton Sun reported the family of Cara King, (left), immediately “did the math” when Thomas Svekla was arrested.
King, 22, was found in a canola field near Highway 214 and Highway 16 near Sherwood Park on September 1st, 1997.
Kathy King, Cara's mother, wondered about Svekla.
“He’s 38 … I would really like to know where he’s been for the last 10 years. Was he on the streets at the time of some of the disappearances?”
The Sun quoted King as saying she’s prepared to be as patient as possible as the Innes case unfolds.
Referring to the investigation in British Columbia, King noted the 26 first-degree murder charges now faced by accused serial killer Robert Pickton were not laid all at once.
“As much as I’d like to know what’s going on I’d hate to jeopardize the investigation,” said King.
“I would hate for (the guilty person) to be acquitted on a technicality.”
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June 7th, 2006
RCMP led media through a tour of sites in High Level where police believe Theresa Merrie Innes may have been last seen with Thomas Svekla.
They also released a number of photographs in hopes of jogging the memory of anyone who may have seen Innes or Svekla in early May 2006.
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Among the pictures released is that of a red and grey Ford pick-up truck behind a High Level hotel where Inne's body may have been stored until it was retrieved and transported to Edmonton.
Police said Innes’ body was in a hockey bag, picked up on the afternoon of May 6th, 2006 in High Level, and driven to Edmonton.
The RCMP said they would like to speak with anyone who may know of Theresa’s body having been in the back of the truck or who knowingly or unknowingly assisted with the preparation, transportation, or any other manipulation of Theresa’s body.
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It was reported that Svekla was driven to Edmonton by friends.
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RCMP spokesman Constable Tamara Bellamy said they could not share all of the details of tips that have come from the general public, stating many tipsters will only come forward if police can ensure their anonymity.
“We’re looking for someone who may have participated in some way, be it unwittingly, in any manipulation of the body, moving it, trying to cover the vehicle, anybody who may have had any interaction,” said Bellamy.
A person described by Bellamy as a “family friend” gave Svekla – and a hockey bag – a ride to Fort Saskatchewan.
Police also confirmed the truck of interest was owned by Svekla but didn't comment on how long Innes’s body may have been in the pickup or what its state of composition was.
Bellamy added detectives were trying to create a “strict timeline for Theresa and Thomas Svekla so we can nail down their movements.”
Svekla, who lived in an apartment above a pizza parlour in High Level, stayed in the Family Motel May 4th and the Sweet Dreams Motel May 5th before he was asked to leave. No reason was given why Svekla was asked to vacate the Sweet Dreams Motel.
Bellamy reminded media the matter was currently before the courts and police must be careful about releasing details to the public.
Photographs released by the RCMP can be seen on this Theresa Merrie Innes photo gallery page which contains large, high-resolution photographs.
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June 8th, 2006
Svekla's defence lawyer appeared in Fort Saskatchewan provincial court without his client to have dates set for a preliminary hearing.
A month was set aside to hear if there is enough evidence for a trial to proceed.
The preliminary hearing is set to begin January 8th, 2007.
Svekla's lawyer elected a trial by judge and jury, but did not enter a plea or a request for bail.
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Crown prosecutor Clifton Purvis, assigned full-time to Project KARE, said outside court that Svekla could apply for bail at a later time.
The judge remanded Svekla in custody until the hearing date.
Purvis wouldn’t comment on the possibility of more charges being laid against Svekla.
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June 25th, 2006
Early on the 25th a 50-year-old woman accepted a ride home from a stranger on Jasper Avenue. The pair ended up near a farmer's field at Township Road 540 and Range Road 220 where the woman was assaulted.
The area is near where Bonnie Lynn Jack and numerous bodies of other sex trade workers have been found » full details »
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August 31st, 2006
Svekla appeared in a court room in High Level to answer to a simple assault charge, stemming from an incident where a woman was attacked on October 13th, 2005. Svekla received a sentence of one day in jail and was told to submit a sample of his DNA » full details »
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October 2nd, 2006
Thomas Svekla appeared in court and pleaded guilty to uttering death threats that were recorded on a telephone answering machine » full details »
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January 2nd, 2007
RCMP announced they laid additional charges of second-degree murder and offering an indignity to a human body against Thomas George Svekla in connection with the death of 19-year-old Rachel Liz Quinney.
RCMP Media Relations Officer Cpl. Wayne Oakes spoke before an attentive media audience at K Division headquarters as he labelled Svekla a serial offender.
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“Today the efforts of numerous investigators from Project KARE, various RCMP detachments and specialised units have resulted in Thomas George Svekla being charged with one count of second-degree murder and one count of offering an indignity to a human body in relation to the death of Rachel Quinney.”
"On June the 11th, 2004 Thomas Svekla reported the discovery of the body of Rachel Quinney in a wooded area near Sherwood Park."
"In 2005 we then came out and said that a serial offender is responsible."
"And today, the second of January, 2007 actually confirms that initial belief that [Svekla] now having been charged with two deaths, with a cooling off period in between, does fall within the definition of a serial offender or a serial killer."
"As we've stated right from the beginning, we believe that more than one person is responsible for more than one of these deaths."
"And with seventy-odd files under active investigation, people – especially in a high-risk lifestyle – I can't state it strongly enough – they need to take precautions."
The announcement marked the first time RCMP confirmed earlier published reports that Svekla found Quinney's body and reported his discovery to police.
With the added charges laid, RCMP now believe the man who found Quinney is the same man who killed her.
At the press conference, Oakes acknowledged that since the discovery of Bonnie Lynn Jack's body on May 18th, 2006 – when Svekla was already in police custody – no prostitute murders have been committed.
"There have been no sex trade workers murdered in the greater Edmonton area since that time that I'm aware of," Oakes stated.
When asked about other leads in the nearly two-dozen cases Project KARE is investigating in the region, Oakes cautioned the media.
"There are oodles of persons of interest ... for varying degrees of interest."
"Whether they're suspects, witnesses – whatever they are – I cannot stand here and go into that depth of explanation and provide to you even an indication of who those people may or may not be."
Oakes said the investigation into the other deaths of sex-trade workers will continue.
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“Project KARE continues to assert that one or more persons are responsible for one or more deaths of Edmonton and area sex trade workers.”
“Accordingly, our work is far from being considered over.”
Asked about the second-degree murder charges, Oakes would only say investigators have to work with the evidence they have.
Oakes said a complex investigation was the reason for the delay in charging Svekla with Quinney's death.
Court documents obtained by the media indicated Quinney was killed between May 25th and June 11th, 2004, in or near Edmonton or Fort Saskatchewan. Between the same dates, Svekla is accused of interfering with human remains by mutilating Quinney's body and improperly disposing of it.
The RCMP did not say how Innes and Quinney died or if the cause was similar in both cases.
Edmonton Sun columnist Andrew Hanon, who Svekla had asked to help clear his name when he said he found Quinney's body, said he saw the charges coming.
“Given the chilling conversation I had with him two years ago, I’m not surprised by Project KARE’s announcement,” he said.
Hanon was called to testify in Svekla's preliminary hearing into the murder of Innes.
News of the latest charges against Thomas Svekla was the lead story on both local and national television screens.
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One local television station inadvertently indicated the challenge of quickly assembling coverage of the biggest crime story of the year so far.
Both the Edmonton Journal and Edmonton Sun covered the news of the added charges with multiple stories covering several pages.
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The Journal published details of several interviews the paper had conducted with Svekla since his arrest in May 2006.
In the article Svekla denied killing anyone.
"I'm not that person. I'm not a killer. I'm a good person," Svekla repeatedly said.
He said it was simply a coincidence, “rotten luck” he said, that he discovered the bodies of two murdered sex-trade workers.
Svekla said he stumbled upon Quinney's body in the bush near Sherwood Park in 2004 and two years later found Innes' body in a hockey bag left in his pickup truck in High Level.
He said he was questioned by police for hours and has repeatedly told them they have the wrong man.
“I said, 'You guys are nuts. You’re just wasting your time.' ”
Svekla insisted he had nothing against women. “I have six sisters. I love them all. I have lots of female friends.”
He said he took a polygraph test on the Quinney case – and passed.
Svekla said detectives showed him a list of numerous murdered and missing women and put many scenarios to him, including that he enjoyed having sex with his dead victims.
“They told me I had sex with the body, but that’s sick,” Svekla said. “I don’t do that kind of sick stuff.”
Svekla also addressed the impression most people have of him, the result of images that appeared in newspapers and on televised broadcasts across Canada after his arrest.
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He said he understands why people might have been appalled by his seemingly bizarre behaviour.
“I couldn’t believe the cops charged me for that [murder]. I was laughing. It was just ridiculous. What a way to come back to Edmonton, my hometown.”
Thomas Svekla was to appear in court on January 4th, 2007 to be formally charged with Quinney's death.
His preliminary hearing on the charges he faces in the death of Theresa Innes was to begin four days later on January 8th.
Svekla's defence lawyer, Robert Shaigec – fresh from the trial of Michael White – said the new charges would not interfere with the preliminary hearing.
Shaigec said the hearing in the Innes matter would likely take six to eight weeks.
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January 4th, 2007
At 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 265 of Edmonton Provincial Court, Thomas George Svekla was formally charged with the second-degree murder of Rachel Quinney.
The charge of second-degree murder in relation to the death of Theresa Innes was also read out.
A judge then ruled that Svekla will be tried on both second-degree murder charges at the same time.
Svekla's defence lawyer, Robert Shaigec, pleaded not guilty to all charges on behalf of his client and elected a trial before a judge and jury.
Appearing relaxed in a white T-shirt with brown pants, Svekla stood in the prisoner's box with his arms folded and his head tilted back. Svekla's dark hair, balding on top, appeared much longer in the back than when he was first arrested in May 2006.
Svekla showed little emotion but at one point during the proceedings he squinted his eyes, appearing confused.
Svekla will next appear in Fort Saskatchewan Provincial Court on January 8th, 2007 for a preliminary hearing that will see the cases of Quinney and Innes combined.
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Crown prosecutor Clifton Purvis told reporters outside court he is ready to proceed with the hearing, even with the additional charges.
Purvis said two other Crown prosecutors, Marilena Carminati and Karl Wilberg, have been assigned to help with what was now being dubbed a “mega” case.
“The Project KARE investigation is a mega case, and the [Justice] department is devoting adequate resources to make sure the case is properly handled,” Purvis said, adding "It's a very, very large case."
In his office, Svekla's defence lawyer said his client looks forward to his day in court and defending himself to prove his innocence.
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“Our position is very clear,” said Robert Shaigec. “Mr. Svekla is not responsible for these deaths and he looks forward to his opportunity, coming very quickly, to begin defending these charges.”
There was no indication if Svekla intended to take the stand in his own defence.
Svekla is charged with the second-degree murder of Innes between August 7th, 2005 and May 8th, 2006, as well as interfering with her human remains by transporting her body in a hockey bag from High Level to Fort Saskatchewan. Her remains were found in Fort Saskatchewan on May 7th, 2006.
Svekla is charged with the second-degree murder of Quinney sometime between May 25th and June 11th, 2004, in or near Edmonton or Fort Saskatchewan. He is also charged with interfering with her human remains by mutilating her body and improperly disposing of it.
Global Edmonton visited with University of Alberta law professor Sanjeev Anand to find out was was behind the move to try Svekla on two murder cases at the same time.
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"I would imagine that much of the evidence in relation to this matter is circumstantial evidence."
"So there's not going to be eyewitness evidence. It's mainly going to be forensics evidence. And the forensics investigators are probably the same people in both cases."
Anand spoke of the concept of "similar fact evidence."
"If the Crown can show that two crimes were likely committed by the same person, and they can link the accused to Crime One – then not only is that evidence that the accused committed Crime One, it's also evidence he committed Crime Two."
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January 8th, 2007
Thomas George Svekla's preliminary hearing begins in Fort Saskatchewan Provincial Court in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta.
Crown prosecutor Clifton Purvis is joined by Marilena Carminati and Karl Wilberg for what is now being dubbed a “mega” case.
Representing Svekla is defence lawyer Robert Shaigec who most recently acted for Michael White.
The hearing was expected to take six to eight weeks » full details »
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January 19th, 2007
In December 2006, Edmonton Journal reporters Chris Purdy and David Staples were subpoenaed by Crown prosecutors to testify at Svekla's preliminary hearing.
The order to appear was because of interviews Purdy and Staples conducted with Svekla through letters and phone calls while he was in the Edmonton Remand Centre.
On January 19th, 2007 Journal lawyer Matt Woodley argued in court that compelling journalists to testify would have an adverse effect on their jobs.
"A reporter's ability to collect and disseminate information is affected by a subpoena," Woodley told Judge Douglas Rae.
"The likelihood of future reporting efforts might be hindered if journalists are seen as agents of the state."
Testifying would also prevent Purdy and Staples from continuing to cover a story they have invested months in, Woodley pointed out. Neither reporter was currently covering the preliminary hearing.
Crown prosecutor Marilena Carminati argued there was no evidence to support the idea there would be a "chill effect" should journalists have to testify.
Carminati said that evidence from those interviews was important in the determination of Svekla's guilt.
Specifically, she pointed to quotes from Svekla that contained inconsistencies when compared to what he has told others.
"These subpoenas are not fishing expeditions," she told court. "It's important for the Crown to show there are a large number of inconsistencies."
The Journal was also issued orders to turn over all material it had concerning Svekla or the cases of Quinney and Innes.
Judge Douglas Rae was expected to deliver his decision on the Crown's subpoenae in late January 2007.
On January 3rd, 2007 the Edmonton Journal had published the details of the interviews Purdy and Staples had conducted with Svekla.
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February 8th, 2007
Thomas Svekla's five-week preliminary hearing concluded in a Fort Saskatchewan courtroom.
Judge Douglas Rae made the decision for the case to proceed to trial.
Likely missing the media spotlight as a publication ban kept details of the hearing from public scrutiny, Svekla seized the opportunity a television news camera presented » full details »
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May 24th, 2007
Thomas Svekla made his first appearance on two new charges in provincial court.
According to court documents, Svekla allegedly committed a sexual assault on a woman at or near Edmonton between August 1st, 2002, and June 30th, 2004. In addition, he allegedly made a threat to kill the same woman between the same dates cited on the sexual assault charge » full details »
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July 5th, 2007
Police continue to lay charges against the man already accused of murdering two prostitutes and sexually assaulting and threatening to kill another woman.
Thomas Svekla appeared in provincial court and was charged with sexually assaulting and sexually interfering with a girl under the age of 14 » full details »
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September 6th, 2007
Svekla caught a break when assault charges were stayed after the RCMP lost key evidence against him. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Adam Germain made the decision “due to the loss of evidence” by police » full details »
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February 19th, 2008
Thomas George Svekla goes on trial for two counts of second-degree murder in addition to charges of interfering with human remains and offering an indignity to a human body » full details »
February 21st, 2008
Strathcona County RCMP were called out to an acreage northeast of Sherwood Park after a body is found dumped in the snow along a secluded driveway.
The body was later identified as 21-year-old Brianna Danielle Torvalson who police described as a sex trade worker. Project KARE was called in to assist with the case » full details »
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June 3rd, 2008
An Edmonton Court of Queen's Bench courtroom was packed to hear verdicts in the trial of the first man charged by the Project KARE task force looking into the disappearances and murders of sex trade workers in the capital region.
Justice Sterling Sanderman faced Crown prosecutor Ashley Finlayson, 40-year-old Thomas Svekla, his defence lawyer Robert Shaigec, and a gallery filled with family members of Theresa Innes and Rachel Quinney along with curious onlookers.
Sanderman then issued his verdicts » full details »
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June 8th, 2008
The Edmonton Journal published a trio of articles, part of the paper's last chapter in the story of Thomas Svekla.
Written by Daivd Staples and Karen Kleiss, the articles were drawn from exhaustive research of court documents and interviews with those close to Svekla » full details »
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Thomas George Svekla
Thomas Svekla was described as an individual known to police but at the time of his first arrest they did not elaborate further.
Svekla was 38 when he was charged. A mechanic, he was the youngest in a family of six sisters.
It was later learned Svekla faced numerous driving charges after a stolen car drove through an Edmonton police checkstop in November, 2004. He was to appear in court the week he was arrested.
In High Level Svekla was facing charges of sexual assault, assault with a weapon, uttering death threats and committing an indecent act (in the RCMP phone room in front of a woman).
Svekla had pleaded not guilty to the charges for the offences that took place in February and March of 2006.
In May 2000, Svekla was sentenced to 27 months for sexual assault on a female under the age of 14 in a Peace River court. He was also convicted for assaulting his wife.
Svekla was known to frequent Edmonton's 118th Avenue area – the location where several city prostitutes were last seen prior to their disappearance.
"He's not a nice man," said a person who knew Svekla for many years and didn't want to be identified in an interview with the Edmonton Journal.
"He liked to be the life of the party, but he could flip on a dime. He would get violent really quickly."
Former co-workers of Thomas Svekla told media he was a man with a taste for hookers and a history of drug and alcohol abuse.
The Edmonton Sun quoted Tom Upshall, who worked with Svekla since the summer of 2005 at the High Level Fountain Tire, as saying, "He'll walk up to streetwalkers after work, talk to them, give them cocaine and booze, take them home and have sex with them, boot them out of his place, and do it all over again the next day."
Upshall said Svekla was hired after being released from a High Level detox centre but was let go after being charged earlier in 2006 and sent to jail.
Upshall stated Svekla once said he'd like to "take my 16-year-old stepdaughter out for supper and then take her home."
The former co-worker said Svekla was seen stumbling outside a High Level hotel, mumbling to himself incoherently the day before the dead woman's body was found.
Upshall said Svekla was living with a cousin in High Level above a gift shop.
Another former co-worker said Svekla would get angry whenever he whistled because it reminded him of his time in jail.
Gordon Janke said Svekla had several girlfriends and "pretty much all of them were native street women."
"He would talk to us all the time and say, 'I had this girl this night and that girl that night.' "
A source close to the Last Link reported that an employee at Edmonton Salvage was asked by police if they knew where Svelka was and if they knew anything about his vehicles. The employee said the questioning came about a month before Svekla was arrested.
Svekla married Mona Marie Bouchard of Edmonton on March 27th, 1999. Court documents showed he was granted a divorce in 2001 after a messy battle over visitation rights with their son, now seven.
Bouchard obtained a restraining order against Svekla and 10 members of his family. A record of the proceedings show Svekla refused to sign the divorce documents. Bouchard was eventually awarded full custody.
In an interview with Global Television, Bouchard stated, "If he's incarcerated for the rest of my life, I'll feel safer."
Police stated Svekla did not live in the Fort Saskatchewan home where the woman’s body was found and was known to have recently been in the Peace River region of Alberta prior to arriving in Fort Saskatchewan.
Neighbours told local media the house where the body was found has been owned by Svekla's family for over 15 years. Neighbours also confirmed that Svekla was arrested while at the house.
A sign posted on the family home in Fort Saskatchewan read: "We do not wish to make a statement and would like you to please understand this is a difficult time for us. Please kindly leave these premises and respect our privacy."
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The Quinney connections
On May 11th, 2006 the Edmonton Sun reported that Thomas Svekla claimed to have discovered the dead body of prostitute Rachel Quinney in June of 2004.
Sun reporter Andrew Hanon said Svekla told him he'd taken a prostitute to a remote area northeast of Sherwood Park to do drugs.
For some reason, the prostitute bolted from his pick-up. Svekla gave chase and they came across Quinney's body.
The RCMP wouldn't confirm or deny Hanon's story » full details »
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News of the additional charges laid against Thomas Svekla on January 2nd, 2007 had Edmonton media in a frenzy.
The scope of the case, involving two homicides among dozens being investigated by Project KARE, had news crews scrambling to assemble archival file footage.
In their haste, Global Edmonton hit the airwaves at 11:00 p.m. with some parts of their graphics package not quite finished.
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This page updated
21:00 2008-06-12.