On the night of December 13, 1997, kindergarten teacher Lorraine McNab, 47, and RCMP Sgt. Peter Sopow, 52, were ambushed and fatally shot outside McNab’s rural acreage south of Pincher Creek. Investigators say both were struck with a .22-calibre firearm as they arrived home; their bodies were dragged from the front of the mobile home, placed inside a locked horse trailer on the property and the scene showed signs someone had attempted a cleanup. Nothing at the site suggested robbery or sexual assault, and Sopow’s pickup remained outside.

The murders went undiscovered until about noon on December 15, when police found the bodies. The weapon has never been recovered. Early leads included sightings of an older red or maroon two-door car resembling an early-1970s Mercury Cougar and a missing .22 rifle from the Cowley area. A local teacher, Wally Sparks, was arrested and assessed under the Mental Health Act but later released and never charged; his alleged connection to the vehicle and other items was not proven in court. RCMP opened hundreds of tip files and later re-examined evidence; officials said they developed a suspect or investigative focus but lacked sufficient evidence to charge.

Does anyone with memories of southern Alberta in December 1997, or information about an older maroon two-door car seen near Lundbreck or Cowley, have tips for investigators?