EARLY LIFE:
Rachel Liz Quinney was born to Delia Quinney. The sister of Keith Lajimodiere, she was known for her smile and love of laughter, as well as her ability to speak her mind. She also loved to dance and sing.
At the time of her disappearance and murder, Rachel was 19 years old and working on the streets under the name “Candace.”
MURDER:
Rachel Quinney was last seen on May 28, 2004. A few weeks later, on June 11, her body was founded in a wooded area near Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton, Alberta, by Thomas Svekla and a prostitute. The pair had gone to the area to smoke crack cocaine.
When found, Rachel’s body was naked, with signs of mutilation. Her breasts and genitals had been cut out, which the medical examiner later determined had been done after her death. Given the level of decomposition, it was too difficult to concretely determine the 19-year-old’s cause of death. However, the level of cocaine in her system was high enough to potentially be lethal.
INVESTIGATION:
Given his past and the fact he was the one to discover Rachel Quinney’s body, Thomas Svekla was given a polygraph and had a DNA sample collected.
Not long after, he was charged with Rachel’s murder, along with that of Theresa Innes, whose body was found in 2006, stuffed in a hockey bag belonging to him. Both women had cocaine in their systems when they died, and they were of a similar physical description; close in weight and with the same hair length and colour. When found, both bodies were too decomposed to determine a cause of death.
Svekla was ultimately acquitted of Rachel’s murder, with the judge citing a lack of evidence to connect him to the crime. He was, however, found guilty of Theresa’s slaying. The prosecution refused to appeal the acquittal in the former case.
Svekla’s trial was the last official update regarding Rachel’s murder.
CASE CONTACT INFORMATION:
Anyone with information regarding Rachel Quinney’s murder is asked to contact the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) at (780) 412-5424. Tips can also be called into Crime Stoppers at +1 (800) 222-8477 (TIPS).
Image Credit: CBC
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