Rebecca Lynn Boutilier was a young mother with a "secret life," according to her mother, with whom she was always close. Born in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Rebecca's father died in a car accident when she was just 18 months old. Following the tragedy, her mother moved them to Calgary, Alberta. Despite what her mother described as a "rocky" childhood, the two shared a nightly ritual of talking when she was tucked into bed. In December 1991, Rebecca, a 20-year-old female, became a mother herself, giving birth to a son. By the time her son was 15 months old, she was involved in the city's sex trade.
On the night of February 12, 1993, Rebecca disappeared from downtown Calgary. She was last seen in the area of 3rd Avenue and 4th Street SW, a known prostitution stroll at the time. A woman who worked with Rebecca on the streets later told investigators she might have gotten into a blue car.
At the time of her disappearance, Rebecca was wearing a distinctive waist-length black suede jacket that had a front zipper and a leather waistband that fastened with a brass buckle. For a month, her whereabouts remained unknown, leaving her family to wonder what had happened to her.
The search for Rebecca came to a tragic end on March 11, 1993. A man tending a field east of McKnight Boulevard and 68th Street NE discovered her partially clad body. The location, though a field, was described as a heavily traveled area. An autopsy later confirmed that Rebecca had been stabbed to death. Investigators noted that her black suede jacket, along with her purse and boots, were missing from the scene. Police believe her killer may have kept these items as souvenirs.
The Calgary Police Service launched a homicide investigation, which in its early stages yielded several leads. Near where Rebecca's body was found, police discovered a pile of women's clothing and another pile of roof shingles. Investigators collected three large plastic containers of canola seeds from the scene for forensic analysis at a federal crime lab. They were able to trace the discarded clothing to another sex worker who had experienced a "bad date" where a man attacked her in his vehicle. The woman was initially reluctant to speak with police and ultimately refused to press charges, providing no further details.
Over the years, Rebecca's case grew cold but was never closed. Homicide detectives with the Calgary Police Service have continued to review the file, looking for new avenues to explore with advances in forensic technology, such as DNA analysis. Her murder is one of several unsolved homicides of young women from that era in Calgary, leading to speculation about a potential serial killer. In 2020, crime writer Patricia Pearson and John Allore, the brother of another murder victim, publicly identified a suspect they believe is responsible for Rebecca's death, as well as the 1992 slaying of Tracey Maunder.
The man they identified, Luc Gregoire, was a convicted killer responsible for the brutal 1993 murder of Lailanie Silva in Calgary. Gregoire had a history of violence and was known to be in Calgary during the time Rebecca was killed. He died in a Quebec prison in 2015 while serving his sentence for Silva's murder. Despite these public assertions, the Calgary Police Service has not officially named a suspect or closed the case. As of October 2020, the homicide of Rebecca Boutilier remains an active, unsolved cold case. Investigators continue to hope that someone with information will come forward to finally bring justice to the young mother whose life was cut short.
