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

[Desespere]

Okay thank you.

I was wondering about the quote you posted where I'm quoted as saying:

so the date in April 1975 is correct, the Ewanciw family is of Ukranian heritage so I don't know why her case is listed on the missingnativewomen.org site

I just want to point out that it wasn't I who said that, that was oilers_4ever who said that. 

[Chris]

Hey Oilers forever, sorry about your brother.

Did you happen to recall if there was an theories or suspects back then? Thanks

[sandy]

I am so glad to see that there are lots of people still thinking of Karen.  I used to play barbie dolls with her (I lived a few doors down) & my family moved away 9 months prior to her death.  I do recall a news article that I microfished at the library (Edmonton Journal)  The article stated that she was with a friend at the time when they were both approached by a strange man.  The friend ran away, but Karen wasn't so lucky.  There was also a Chatelaine magazine article regarding her case (I remember my grandmother showing it to me) which had a photograph of Karen.  This would have been a late 1975, or early 1976 issue. I hope & prayer her murder is solved one day.  It's been too long.

[Chris]

Hi Sandy, thanks for psoting. I am sorry about your friend.

so a strange person came? Wow. That is a pedophile thing. I hope there is some DNA they can test and find who did this.

[Desespere]

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?

[Chris]

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?

Wow, I did not know that. And no, I do not think that is ego centric at all. Maybe a creep thought that everyone would just assume the kid was found last week, and they will think that again.

[Desespere]

I'm wondering if the killer of Karen might also be the killer of Kelly. There's something in the arrogance of the two killers that makes me feel they could be one-in-the-same.

Does any one know how I can find out if there was a description of the strange man that approached the two girls?

[sandy]

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 .  He said that he could not give me the info where she was buried.  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.  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.

[haunted]

I'm wondering if the killer of Karen might also be the killer of Kelly. There's something in the arrogance of the two killers that makes me feel they could be one-in-the-same.


***********************************
When reading the comment about the 'boldness' of this guy, made me wonder too. I know in Kelly's case, her file is onthe RCMP cold cases and the investigating officer is listed on there. I emailed RCMP K division and the officer emailed me the composite sketch. It is possible that the officer investigating Karen's case may have a composite and may release it. would be interesting if a composite sketch exists to compare it to Kelly's case as well.

[Desespere]

Thank you Sandy for the information. I'll try to find  the article in the sun. It is very sad to hear the little girl has no headstone.

Does her father still live in Edmonton? Maybe a fundraiser could be done for a headstone for Karen. I'm going to think on that for a bit.

[Adrian]

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. 

[haunted]

Terry Arnold was 42 in 2005 when he commited suicide, therefore he was likely too young to be involved in this case as he would have been only 12. And in Kelly Cook's case he would have been 18, too young, given the profile from the witnesses.

Olsen likely commited more crimes than he was convicted of. He was active around that period of time too I think but I also know that he was in and out of prison a lot and spent a lot of time down east. Will check the thread on Olsen to see what is indicated of him in 1975.

[Adrian]

Thanks haunted, I have to get going till tonight. I know a bit of Clifford, as I met a man who grew up beside him, and also a landlord who worked with him.

The man who grew up beside him, well, his sister married Olsons brother, if what he said was true.Marriage made in hell if what I heard was true. This guy worked in the DTES of Vancouver, in a large hotel. He knew many victims of the farm.He said that Olsons brother was a ped.I don't know whether to believe this or not.

I know that Clifford, liked to move around, was spontaneous, arrogant, liked to talk, had the gift of gab, joked around a lot. The other side was just crazy in the depths of depravity he went, including taunting victim's families over the years.

[sandy]

Wow! This blows my mind!  Tonight on the news they had a story about a rapist who was just arrested for a rape that occurred April 6, 1987.  The victim who is now 30 years old will be testifying in court against her attacker James Alexander Parent.  Global Calgary website has the details.
James Parent is 50 years of age & has travelled & lived extensively throughout Alberta.  They are now comparing his DNA to forensic evidence of unsolved murder/rape cases for the last 30+ years.
Could this be the freak we are all looking for, or what?
I can't believe it, but dear lord, I hope this is the bloody SOB!!
Justice for Karen, Kelly & all the other poor souls he has destroyed!

[Desespere]

21 years later, man charged for sexual assault
Sherri Zickefoose, Calgary Herald
Published: Monday, September 08, 2008
CALGARY - Police have laid charges against a man in a historical sexual assault case dating back 21 years.

James Alexander Parent, 50, was arrested Friday on charges relating to a sex assault from April 6, 1987.

Police say a masked man rang the door bell of a home in the community of Kelvin Grove that night at 10 p.m. When a 30-year-old woman opened the door, the man forced his way inside and violently assaulted her. The offender ransacked the home, and sexually assaulted her.

There is no statute of limitations on sexual assault cases. Forensic advances, including DNA testing, and other investigative techniques recently led investigators to Parent who is known to travel extensively throughout Alberta.

The sex crimes unit this year has begun reviewing nearly 30 years worth of unsolved cases.

Parent is charged with with sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm, wearing a disguise, unlawful confinement, residential break and enter, utter threats to cause death, and mischief.

szickefoose@theherald.canwest.com

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/story.html?id=bca91500-8f4c-4750-94da-bc0862ec9738

He was 29-30 at the time, same age as the victim.