Melissa Ann Rehorek was 20 and had moved from Windsor, Ontario, to Calgary in spring 1976. Described by family as positive, adventurous and trusting, she loved nature and exploring Canada. On September 16, 1976, her body was found under the Happy Valley Overpass on Highway 1, west of Calgary.

The case remained unsolved for decades with no suspect identified. In 2024 the Alberta RCMP announced the murder had been linked to Gary Allen Srery, an American serial killer born in 1942. Investigative Genetic Genealogy was used: DNA from the scene was developed into a genetic profile by Parabon NanoLabs, uploaded to public genealogy databases and traced to Srery’s family tree. RCMP said Srery was responsible for Rehorek’s death and for three other young females killed in Calgary in the 1970s.

Srery died in an Idaho prison in 2011 while serving a life sentence for unrelated crimes, so no arrest was made in Melissa’s case. Does anyone who knew Melissa or her time in Calgary have memories or information to share?