Gary Allen Srery

Serial Killer

Gary Allen Srery: The Fugitive Serial Killer Identified Through DNA

Overview

Gary Allen Srery was an American serial killer and repeat sexual offender who was identified as the murderer of four girls and young women killed in and around Calgary, Alberta, between February 1976 and February 1977. The murders remained officially unsolved for nearly half a century. Srery was never arrested, tried or convicted for the killings because investigators did not identify him until years after his death. Advances in DNA testing and investigative genetic genealogy eventually allowed the Royal Canadian Mounted Police to connect biological evidence from the four crime scenes to Srery. Born on July 26, 1942, in Oak Park, Illinois, Srery accumulated an extensive criminal history involving sexual violence, kidnapping, burglary and other offenses. He fled the United States in 1974 while facing a rape prosecution in California and entered Canada illegally. During the years in which the Calgary murders occurred, he lived a transient life, used numerous aliases, frequently changed his appearance and drove different vehicles. These practices made him difficult to trace and allowed him to remain in Canada for more than two decades.

Early Criminal History

Srery's documented pattern of violence against women began long before the Calgary killings. In 1965, he was convicted in California of crimes that included forcible rape, kidnapping, sodomy and oral copulation. The following year, authorities classified him as a mentally disordered sex offender and committed him to a state institution. His contact with law enforcement continued through the late 1960s and early 1970s, including arrests and prosecutions for sexual offenses, burglary and drug-related crimes. In 1974, Srery was accused of attacking a woman who had been hitchhiking in California's San Fernando Valley. He was arrested and charged with rape but was released on bail. Rather than return to court, he fled the United States. Investigators believe he crossed into Canada illegally and settled temporarily in Calgary, where he worked occasional jobs, including employment as a cook. He used fraudulent identification and aliases such as Rex Edward Long, David Blackwell, Travis Blackwell and Gary Delorme. His ability to change names, residences, vehicles and physical appearance made it possible for him to conceal both his identity and his criminal past. Canadian authorities did not have immediate access to the complete American records that would have revealed him as a fugitive and convicted sexual offender. By the time the first two known murders occurred in Calgary, Srery was living largely outside official systems and could move without attracting sustained police attention. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Eva Violet Dvorak Age: (14), Date of Death: 1976-02-14

Gary Allen Srery - Wikipedia