Karen Ewanciw - April 24, 1975 - Age 11 - Edmonton - KARE

[Chris]

Wow, that is shocking. I guess when the police test DNA, good things happen. I hope they can speed up that process and test all DNA samples in Canada.

[Desespere]

OMG more
read it all at this link
http://www.cbc.ca/canada/edmonton/story/2008/09/08/cold-case-calgary-rape.html?ref=rss

In December 1988, Parent was acquitted of 10 charges in connection with the sexual assaults of seven women in Edmonton from October 1986 to August 1987.

At the trial, none of the victims could identify their attacker because he wore a mask and covered their heads with blankets.
However, Parent was convicted of one charge of breaking and entering with the intent to commit an indictable offence and was sentenced to 3? years.

At the time, he had a previous criminal record of child molestation, indecent assault and attempted unlawful confinement.

Parent is scheduled to appear in Calgary provincial court on Wednesday.

[Desespere]

At the same link this is a sketch of parent in 1988 at the trial

[Chris]

Wow, this may be a bigger story soon. I just wish they could test more DNA without having to wait years.

[Desespere]

Last night I was having trouble resting until I could figure out why this guy's name was familiar and I realized it wasn't familiar, just the same last name as Carole Parent, a senior who went missing from Sylvan Lake last year (as well as her jeep).

[sandy]

That's it!  I am going to the court house tomorrow.  Anyone live in Calgary & want to join me?  I find this whole thing so compelling.  I really have a feeling this is the SOB.  He would have been 17 years old at the time Karen was murdered.  High School age.  I have been trying to find student databases for McNally High in Edmonton, as well as J H Picard (a few blocks away) to see if he was a student at either school.  No luck, but I'm sure the police are on top of that (i hope).  He would have been 23 years at the time of Kelly Cooks murder, old enough to be a young father needing a babysitter.  I really have a hopeful feeling you guys (& girls).  I find it profound that this has all happened within days of first meeting you all online & discussing everything that we hope to find answers for.  Very surreal!

[Adrian]

Good Luck Sandy!

I hope the re opening of the case, brings some final answers. It may well open a big ole can of worms. Who knows what else this guy did? I am in Edmonton, but wish you well in Calgary.

I wonder why there are no pictures of Karen, it just may help the public more.Good luck on your quest for justice.

Des, I feel you are lucky, who knows what this jerk would of done. I doubt you were a trigger, but their are weirdoes all over.

[sandy]

Thanks Adrian.  I have actually contacted Chatelaine magazine & have asked them if they would reprint the story of Karen which contained a photo of her.  Haven't heard back from them yet, but if they can't reprint the story, I will ask them for a copy & hopefully get a photo of her.  My mother actually has a photo of Karen, her sister & myself back in 1974, but my mother is a pack rat & can't find a thing amongst her junk.  I will eventually see her soon & sort through her boxes of crap & find it. LOL  I wonder if any of Karen's siblings might have gone to school with Parent, maybe that's how Karen was chosen as a victim.  Thanks Desespere for finding that info on Parent.  All your help & support is great everyone!

[haunted]

Where was Clifford Olsen during this time? He was smart, tricky, and liked to play games. He was a sadist, and liked the emotional pull of sex with children.He also liked to taunt the victim's families. 

I did some more looking, the info on Olson prior to 1980 isn't very detailed, at least not what I have found so far. He was serving a prison sentence in 1974 but I am unsure for how long. He was out in 1978 for sure and commited a crime that is documented. I get the impression he was in prison from 74 to close to 78 but I could be wrong. I have no doubt in my mind that Olson commited more crimes than he admitted to.

[Chris]

If I was in Calgary I'd go. Des, that is interesting. You sure have a real good memory.

[Maureen47]

Both approached by a strange man and only one got away? That guy was very bold to continue with the murder when one girl got away.
Now they should have a sketch of this guy I would hope.

What kind of strange man? Or did the girl who got away mean stranger?

To do something so bold makes me wonder if the killer of Karen had killed before and after. His approach, his boldness, he's opportunistic but what the heck was he doing in the woods anyway? I'm just wondering out loud. Maybe the kids played there a lot. I was the same age then, I lived near 124 street and 102 ave at the time. I don't remember this case from that time. I was a run-away myself. My mom remembers this case though. She told me last year as we were talking about our past and she said "there was another little girl went missing around the same time as you but she was murdered."

All I know is that I was on vacation from school and it was a Sunday and I was supposed to go back to school the next day or the day after. It was cold but not too cold because I took a bus the wrong way and got scared and walked from Westmount Mall to downtown because I thought the police might look for me on the bus. I went all the way to Calgary and back. I was gone about 24 hours but I guess I was on the news. I figured it was Easter break but it might have been later, spring break. This is why I want to find out the holidays from that time. It just seems odd to me that I was missing and then a little girl my own age goes missing and is murdered not long after.

This has made me wonder, and I hope it's not ego-centric but it's crossed my mind, what if my disappearance on the news was a kind of trigger for the killer somehow?

That is kind of ego-centric.  I doubt you running away has anything to do with a freak killing a little girl.

[Maureen47]

The Edmonton Police re-opened Karen's case April 24th, 2005.  There was a article in the Edmonton Sun.  The name of the detective in charge was in the article & I did contact him to thank him & to find out where she is buried. (something else I couldn't find).  She does not have a headstone (that's why I can't find her-she's just a number- really sad).  He said that he could not give me the info where she was buried but felt it would be ok to contact family members to find out.  There must be forensic evidence they are re-testing, otherwise they wouldn't re-open her case.  I will find out the Detectives name for you.  My mom worked with a police officer's wife back in 1975.  This woman's husband was working on Karen's case at the time & she told my mother in confidence that they had a suspect who was a Postal worker, who they investigated for quite some time but were never able to prove anything.  They felt it was a man in a uniform who did this & there was a delivery truck seen at the school the day of Karen's murder.  I feel this man has murdered & molested more girls, not just Karen.  Her face was beaten beyond recognition, which leads me to believe she may have known him.  I hope they investigated some of her father's friends at the time.  He was a single father & the family was rather disfunctional with no mother (I believe she died)  Karen's body was identified by dental records & her sister's ring that she wore on her finger.  Most of this info I found out in the newspapers.  We went to Forest Heights Elementary (right by McNally) & the paths down to the river were our hang out.  We played there often.  The school may have a photo of Karen, I wonder.  It's so great to talk to someone about this, so excuse the verbal diarrhea.  I think we have all been brought together by Karen for a reason, she wants to be remembered & she needs justice.  I will go through all my info that I have & get back to you.

I remember this too.  I was 17 at the time, and it was so upsetting.  The news guy started crying when he reported on it.  I am surprised that she does not have a headstone.  I've never forgotten her name.

[sandy]

Hello Everyone,  It has been a while since I have been back to this web page but I really need to share this info with all of you.  I was visiting friends in Edmonton over this passed weekend & what I have to share with all of you is very bizzaar to say the least.  I don't know how you would term this experience exactly, divine intervention?, six degrees of seperation?, prophetic?  I don't know.  I received some very very interesting information which was all basically placed in my lap over a 20 minute conversation.

conversation details:

James Alexander Parent - Grew up in St. Albert, Alberta, attended Paul Cain High School in St. Albert up until 1975, lived in St. Albert for probably 7 - 8 years after that, heavy drug user, grew up in a very abusive home, he was never married but has a common law spouse who lives in Calgary , he has worked in the oil & gas industry since roughly 1979.

Shane - Was a good friend of James Parent, is the same age, attended Paul Cain High, was a big drug dealer in St. Albert from 1975 to possibly 1983, maybe longer.

It was common knowledge to alot of people who lived in St. Albert from roughly 1976 - 1983 that both these men would drive around elementary schools in St. Albert & check out little girls.

Hetta - common law spouse of James Parent, recalls numerous times when James would go missing for days, but would never divulge info to her of where he had been.  Her testimony of her common law husband could not be used against him when he was acquitted of 10 sexual assault charges back in 1988.

Pat - began working with James Parent in 1983 & worked on & off with him for more than a decade.  When Pat heard of James Parents arrest the beginning of Sept, 2008.  He now recalls numerous times that while working & travelling from city to city & town to town, that there would always be some sort of unsolved incident occurring when ever he was working with James Parent.  They would head off to another city or town & either in the papers or tv, Pat would hear of missing persons or sexual assault cases.

I have reported all of this information to the police & have also asked that James Parent & Shane B. be questioned about the unsolved murders of Karen Ewanciw, Kelly Cook & Tanya Murrell.  I was told that if I want anything to add to my report file that I can do so at anytime.

I know that all of you who are members of this web site are concerned citizens & I value you opinions, ideas & suggestions.  If you have comments, additional info or anything you can add to this, then please let me know.

Why I ended up finding out all this info is still a mystery to me, but I know that by reporting it to the police & to all of you was a definate must.

Sandy

[Chris]

Wow, that is great! One thing for sure, pedo freaks never change and are always up to something.

It could be a stretch, but at least it is something the police can look at.

GOod work!

[sandy]

Thanks Chris but as for the good work though, I didn't do anything really, other than report it.  That's the weird thing about it.  It all stemmed from a very casual conversation about nothing.
What I'm wondering is, based on his criminal history that is known, he seems to not have a preference whether it be women or little girls, so maybe he doesn't have a preference to just sexual assault.  If he had this friend doing the same sick stuff with him, sexual assault & murder could have been a definate possibility.  Just my gut feelings.  I'm just glad they have him in custody.  He's gonna pay...finally!