Man gets five years in stabbing death

Man gets five years in stabbing death By TONY BLAIS, COURT BUREAU fctAdTag("bigbox",MyGenericTagVar,1); A man convicted of manslaughter in the stabbing death of a city man smiled and winked at friends and family after being handed a five-year prison sentence today. Jeremy Aucoin, 21, must only serve two more years after getting a credit of three years for the 18 months he already spent in pretrial custody at the Edmonton Remand Centre. A jury earlier convicted Aucoin in the Oct. 2, 2004, slaying of Lloyd Dickson, 30, at a Mill Woods townhouse complex. Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terry Clackson said there was insufficient evidence to prove Aucoin had a knife and ruled the only scenario consistent with the jury's finding was Aucoin had assisted the person wielding the knife. "He was a party to the stabbing death of Mr. Dickson," said Clackson. The judge also gave a $1,500 fine to Dorian Taylor, 22, for punching and kicking Dickson during the attack. The jury had earlier acquitted Taylor of manslaughter, but found him guilty of assault. Court has heard Dickson was stabbed five times, including a fatal blow to the heart. He was also punched, kicked and hit with a closet rod by anywhere from two to four men. The jury heard the 2004 slaying happened at the Knottwood Terrace townhouse complex at 21 Avenue and Millwoods Road as groups of young people were socializing at two of the condos near where Dickson lived. When Dickson returned home from a stop at a liquor store with his roommate Jason Minkowitz and two 17-year-old girls, Minkowitz stopped in next door where an argument had broken out. He was hit on the head with a beer bottle and went home bleeding. Dickson then ran out of the house and chased Taylor and Aucoin inside another nearby condo. He never made it out alive. The jury heard paramedics found Dickson in the front entrance bleeding from wounds, lying face up with his head and shoulders in a pool of blood inside a closet. On Friday, Dickson was described by family as a big teddy bear who was always willing to help friends. He was also portrayed as a good Christian who wrote poetry. His mother told court she forgives her son's attackers and said: "I pray God has mercy on them."

Trial hears wiretaps of Alberta man accused of killing prostitutes

NATIONAL NEWS Last updated at 9:45 AM on 11/03/08 Trial hears wiretaps of Alberta man accused of killing prostitutes THE CANADIAN PRESSEDMONTON — Wiretapped phone conversations between a man accused of killing two prostitutes and his family showed that he laughed off any comparison to the character of serial killer Hannibal Lecter from the movie “Silence of the Lambs.”Thomas Svekla also talked about the wrongful conviction of David Milgaard and the malicious prosecution case of Jason Dix.In a Sept. 20, 2006, intercepted call between Svekla and his sister Susan, he talked about an RCMP profiler who came from Ottawa to see him."I said you better leave, man, ’cause this isn’t a movie and I’m not Hannibal Lecter,” said Svekla, laughing.“I just tell him I got nothing to say and I’m not Hannibal Lecter.”In a Sept. 16, 2006, phone conversation with his sister Sharyn, Svekla talked about Edmonton-area man Jason Dix suing the RCMP for malicious prosecution after having two murder charges dismissed and said: “I’m going to get at least a million.”In an Oct. 5, 2006, call to his sister Maryanne, Svekla said he would be like David Milgaard, who was awarded $10 million after spending 23 years behind bars for a murder he did not commit.Svekla was also recorded speaking about family members who had talked to RCMP investigators with Project Kare and complaining about sisters Sharyn and Donna making statements.“Don’t say a word to them, Mom,” Svekla said to his mother, Emily Svekla, during an Oct. 1, 2006, visit at the Edmonton Remand Centre. “They’re making me out to be a really bad guy.”Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, is accused of second-degree murder and interfering with human remains in the deaths of Rachel Quinney, 19, and Theresa Innes, 36.Quinney’s mutilated naked body was found in a wooded farmer’s field near Fort Saskatchewan in June 2004.Court has heard Svekla told police he discovered Quinney’s body while smoking crack with another prostitute.Innes’ wrapped and wire-bound body was discovered in May 2006 after Svekla’s sister Donna told police she found it in a hockey bag in her Fort Saskatchewan garage.Police allege Innes was slain in High Level and Svekla transported the body from there to Fort Saskatchewan.Svekla is the first person charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of people with high-risk lifestyles. 11/03/08

Trial hears wiretaps of Svekla

March 10, 2008 Trial hears wiretaps of Svekla By THE CANADIAN PRESS EDMONTON — An Edmonton court has heard wiretap conversations involving a man accused of killing two prostitutes. Thomas Svekla tells his sisters and mother about his time in the Edmonton Remand Centre, saying he’s a big boy and can handle being locked up. He also says he doesn’t want them talking to police, and that he’s worried one of his sisters won’t come to see him because she believes he’s guilty. He tells one sister a criminal profiler from Ontario came to see him, and alludes to the movie “Silence of the Lambs,” saying he’s no Hannibal Lecter. Svekla is charged with second-degree murder in the deaths of Rachel Quinney, 19, and Theresa Innes, 36. Other evidence presented at the trial included video footage of the examination of Innes’ body after it was found in Svekla’s hockey bag in his sister’s garage.

Men sentenced for roles in 'bloodbath'

Men sentenced for roles in 'bloodbath' Five-year sentence reduced for time spent in remand; second man gets fined Karen Kleiss edmontonjournal.com Monday, March 10, 2008 EDMONTON - A young man convicted of manslaughter after a "bloodbath" at a southside townhouse was sentenced today to five years in a federal penitentiary. Because of the time Jeremy Aucoin has already spent in the Edmonton Remand Centre, however, his prison time was reduced to two years for his role in the stabbing death of Lloyd Dickson, 30, in 2004. Aucoin, 21, received two-for-one credit for the 18 months he has already spent in the remand centre. His co-accused, Dorian Taylor, 21, was fined $1,500. A jury had convicted him of assault in connection with Dickson's death. On Oct. 2, 2004, Dickson burst into a Mill Woods townhouse seeking revenge for a friend who had been hit over the head with a beer bottle. He was attacked by a group of men, including Taylor and Aucoin. He was punched, kicked and hit with a closet bar. He suffered five stab wounds, one through the heart. Crown prosecutor Tania Sarkar had asked for a sentence of six to eight years for Aucoin. She told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terrance Clackson the attack was a "bloodbath" and that Aucoin showed no remorse. Defence lawyer Michele Reeves said her client should be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison, and that he should get more than two-for-one credit for time spent in the remand centre because he was held in the gang unit. "He has already done three (years)," Reeves argued. "He has done his time." The Crown asked Clackson to sentence Taylor to eight to 12 months, while his lawyer argued for a $1,000 fine instead. In victim impact statements read in court, Dickson's family remembered a strong leader who once quit a job only to have his entire crew quit with him and follow him to his new place of employment. "He believed he could defuse any situation with words and the strength of his Christian faith," Dickson's grandmother, Jean Madison, told the court before reading a poem written by her grandson. His mother, Pat Greenly, said in a victim impact statement that her heart aches for her son but she forgives the offenders. "I pray that God have mercy on them," she said. kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com © Edmonton Journal 2008

Svekla said he put body in duffle bag

Svekla said he put body in duffle bag, sister testifies Karen Kleiss edmontonjournal.com Wednesday, March 05, 2008 CREDIT: Supplied Thomas Svekla first day of trial. EDMONTON - Thomas Svekla told his sister he found Theresa Innes's body in the back of his truck, wrapped her in an air mattress and stuffed her in a duffle bag, but later changed his story and said he found her in the cab of the pickup, court heard this morning. The alleged prostitute killer also told his sister he brought Innes's body back home so she could be with her family, Sharyn Durocher acknowledged Wednesday. During more than an hour of testimony, Durocher repeatedly claimed she had little memory of conversations with her brother, but when confronted with transcripts of her interviews with police, she agreed she was telling the truth when she told police she spoke with him at length about Innes. "He said he took all his stuff out of his bag because he wanted to put the body in there ... and he said he wrapped his, what was it, blow-up mattress around the body," Durocher told Const. Kevin Kunetzki in a September 2006 interview, according to transcripts read in court. "He said he wanted to bring her home," she told Kunetzki. Under cross-examination, she testified it was possible that Svekla was talking about bringing her to his own home in Fort Saskatchewan. Court also heard that Svekla insisted on loading the hockey bag containing Innes's remains into his mother's car, and then asked Durocher whether she thought it would leak, court heard this morning. He told her it was full of compost worms. "He asked me, do you think the compost worms are going to leak out into mom's trunk, and I said no," Durocher said. Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, faces two charges of second-degree murder and two charges of interfering with a dead body in the deaths of Innes, 36, and of Rachel Quinney, 19, both sex-trade workers struggling with addiction. Svekla found Quinney's body in a stand of trees in June 2004, and nearly two years later, in May 2006, he transported Innes's body in a hockey bag from High Level. Earlier this week, court heard Svekla knew both Quinney and Innes and had introduced them to his father. A neighbour testified that Svekla's father, George, had confided this to her, but the elder Svekla adamantly denied it on the stand. Last week, court heard Svekla boasting to his sister during a wiretapped conversation at the Edmonton Remand Centre. "I'm like the Pickton of Alberta," he told her, comparing himself to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who was convicted last year of killing six women. He also told his sister he was in a special unit reserved for high-profile inmates. "They only keep 12 people up there," he said. "You have to be famous, or well-known. People on the news." Svekla is the only person to be charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of more than 70 people living high-risk lifestyles, including sex-trade workers. The trial will resume Thursday morning with testimony from medical examiners who did autopsies on Innes and Quinney. kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com © Edmonton Journal 2008

Sentencing arguments heard in Mill Woods stabbing

Sentencing arguments heard in Mill Woods stabbing Karen Kleiss edmontonjournal.com Friday, March 07, 2008 EDMONTON - A young man convicted of manslaughter should be sentenced to at least six years behind bars, a prosecutor argued today. Crown prosecutor Tania Sarkar asked a judge to sentence 21-year-old Jeremy Aucoin to between six and eight years in prison for his role in the stabbing death of Lloyd Dickson, 30, on Oct. 2, 2004. Sarkar told Court of Queen's Bench Justice Terrance Clackson that the fatal attack was a "bloodbath," and that Aucoin showed absolutely no remorse. Defence lawyer Michele Reeves said her client should be sentenced to a maximum of three years in prison and should get more than two-for-one credit for the 18 months he has spent in the Remand Centre because he has been in the gang unit. "He has already done three (years)," Reeves said. "He has done his time." Last week, a jury convicted Aucoin of manslaughter, while his co-accused, 21-year-old Dorian Taylor, was convicted of assault. The Crown has asked Clackson to sentence Taylor to between 8 and 12 months in jail, while his lawyer says he should pay a $1,000 fine for the assault. On Oct. 2, 2004, Lloyd Dickson burst into a Mill Woods townhouse seeking revenge for a friend who had been hit over the head with a beer bottle. He was attacked by a group of men, including Taylor and Aucoin. He was punched, kicked and hit with a closet bar, court heard. He suffered five stab wounds, one through the heart. In victim impact statements read in court today, Dickson's family remembered a strong leader who once quit a job only to have his entire crew quit with him and follow him to his new place of employment. "He believed he could defuse any situation with words and the strength of his Christian faith," Dickson's grandmother, Jean Madison, told the court before reading a poem written her grandson. His mother, Pat Greenly, said in a victim impact statement that her heart aches for her son but that she forgives the offenders. "I pray that God have mercy on them," she said. The two men are expected to be sentenced March 10. kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com © Edmonton Journal 2008

Svekla 'emotional' as he described finding body

Svekla 'emotional' as he described finding body, trial told Karen Kleiss edmontonjournal.com Monday, March 03, 2008 CREDIT: Global Edmonton Rachel Quinney EDMONTON - Thomas Svekla was emotional and looked like he had been crying when he arrived at a friend's home hours after finding a mutilated body near Fort Saskatchewan, court heard this morning. Lavonne Lawrence testified Svekla dropped by her west-end home around 8 p.m. on June 11, 2004, and told her he had found a discoloured, disfigured body in the bush while smoking crack cocaine with a female friend. "He was quite emotional. We proceeded to talk some more," Lawrence said. "He was very tired. You could tell he had been crying." Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, faces two charges of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Rachel Quinney and Theresa Innes, both sex-trade workers struggling with addiction. Court has heard that Svekla found Quinney's body in a stand of trees in June 2004. Nearly two years later, in May 2006, Theresa Innes's body was allegedly found in a hockey bag he had transported from High Level. Lawrence testified this morning that Svekla told her the body he had found was a "purplish" and "reddish-blue" colour. She asked him if it was male or female, and he said he couldn't tell because the genital areas were gone. "What he had told me was that the female friend knew who was doing this killing," Lawrence told the court. "It (the body) was a friend of hers, is what he had told me." Court heard Friday from a second witness who said Svekla asked him to tow his pickup truck from High Level to Peace River in March 2006. "He was a little anxious and panicky sounding; he just wanted to get it out of there right away," Les Kacho testified. Svekla was supposed to call to arrange the pickup but he never did, Kacho said. Last week court heard Svekla boasting to his sister during a wiretapped conversation at the Edmonton Remand Centre. "I'm like the Pickton of Alberta," he told her, comparing himself to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who was convicted last year of killing six women. He also bragged that he was in a special unit reserved for high-profile inmates. "They only keep 12 people up there," he said. "You have to be famous, or well-known. People on the news." Svekla is the only person to be charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of more than 70 people living high-risk lifestyles, including sex-trade workers. The trial is expected to resume tomorrow morning. kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com © Edmonton Journal 2008

Monday, March 03, 2008 Svekla 'emotional' as he described finding body, trial told Canwest News Service Published: Monday, March 03, 2008 John Lucas, CanWest News Service EDMONTON -- Thomas Svekla was emotional and looked like he had been crying when he arrived at a friend's home hours after finding a mutilated body near Fort Saskatchewan, court heard this morning. Lavonne Lawrence testified Svekla dropped by her west-end home around 8 p.m. on June 11, 2004, and told her he had found a discoloured, disfigured body in the bush while smoking crack cocaine with a female friend. "He was quite emotional. We proceeded to talk some more," Ms. Lawrence said. "He was very tired. You could tell he had been crying." Mr. Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, faces two charges of second-degree murder in connection with the deaths of Rachel Quinney and Theresa Innes, both sex-trade workers struggling with addiction. Court has heard that Mr. Svekla found Ms. Quinney's body in a stand of trees in June 2004. Nearly two years later, in May 2006, Theresa Innes's body was allegedly found in a hockey bag he had transported from High Level. Ms. Lawrence testified this morning that Mr. Svekla told her the body he had found was a "purplish" and "reddish-blue" colour. She asked him if it was male or female, and he said he couldn't tell because the genital areas were gone. "What he had told me was that the female friend knew who was doing this killing," Ms. Lawrence told the court. "It [the body] was a friend of hers, is what he had told me." Court heard Friday from a second witness who said Mr. Svekla asked him to tow his pickup truck from High Level to Peace River in March 2006. "He was a little anxious and panicky sounding; he just wanted to get it out of there right away," Les Kacho testified. Mr. Svekla was supposed to call to arrange the pickup but he never did, Mr. Kacho said. Last week court heard Mr. Svekla boasting to his sister during a wiretapped conversation at the Edmonton Remand Centre. "I'm like the Pickton of Alberta," he told her, comparing himself to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who was convicted last year of killing six women. He also bragged that he was in a special unit reserved for high-profile inmates. "They only keep 12 people up there," he said. "You have to be famous, or well-known. People on the news." Mr. Svekla is the only person to be charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of more than 70 people living high-risk lifestyles, including sex-trade workers. The trial is expected to resume Tuesday morning. Edmonton Journal

Svekla found body in truck

Svekla found body in truck: sister Faces two counts of second-degree murder in deaths of sex-trade workers Karen Kleiss The Edmonton Journal Thursday, March 06, 2008 CREDIT: Supplied Thomas Svekla first day of trial. Thomas Svekla told his sister he found Theresa Innes's body in the back of his pickup, stuffed it in a hockey bag and hauled it to Edmonton so she could be with her family, court heard on Wednesday. "He said he took all his stuff out of his bag because he wanted to put the body in there, and he said he wrapped his, what was it, blow-up mattress around the body," Svekla's sister Sharyn Durocher told Const. Kevin Kunetzki in a September 2006 interview, according to transcripts read in court. "He said he wanted to bring her home," Durocher told Kunetzki. On Wednesday, she acknowledged that her brother later changed his story, telling her he had found Innes's body in the cab of his pickup truck. During more than an hour of testimony, Durocher repeatedly claimed she had little memory of conversations with her brother after he was arrested and charged with murder. When confronted with transcripts of her interviews with investigators, she agreed she had been truthful with police. Under cross-examination, she admitted it was possible her brother was talking about bringing Innes's body to his own home in Fort Saskatchewan. Court also heard Wednesday that Svekla insisted on loading the hockey bag containing Innes's remains into his mother's car after returning from High Level in May 2006. He had a casual chat with his sister about the bag, which he said was full of compost worms. "He asked me, 'Do you think the compost worms are going to leak out into mom's trunk?' and I said, 'No,' " Durocher said. Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, faces two charges of second-degree murder in the deaths of Innes, 36, and Rachel Quinney, 19, both sex-trade workers. Court has heard that Svekla found Quinney's body in a stand of trees in June 2004, and in May 2006 transported Innes's body in a hockey bag from High Level. Earlier this week, a neighbour testified that Svekla knew Quinney and Innes and introduced them to his father. However, George Svekla denied knowing either woman. Thomas Svekla has rejected suggestions that he had anything more than a passing acquaintance with either of the victims. Last week, court heard Svekla boasted to his sister during a conversation at the Edmonton Remand Centre. "I'm like the Pickton of Alberta," he told her, comparing himself to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who was convicted last year of killing six women. He also told his sister he was in a special unit for high-profile inmates. "They only keep 12 people up there," he said. "You have to be famous, or well-known. People on the news." On Wednesday, Sharyn Durocher testified her brother told her he felt like a "celebrity." Svekla is the only person to be charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of more than 70 people living high-risk lifestyles, including sex-trade workers. The trial will resume today with testimony from medical examiners who did autopsies on Innes and Quinney. kkleiss@thejournal.canwest.com © The Edmonton Journal 2008

Man acquitted of murder in Whyte Avenue stabbing

Man acquitted of murder in Whyte Avenue stabbing Last Updated: Friday, February 29, 2008 5:07 PM MT CBC News A young Edmonton man wiped away tears Friday as the Court of Queen's Bench found him not guilty of second-degree murder in the 2005 death of another man behind a Whyte Avenue car wash. Justice Brian Burrows ruled that James Harrison, 23, was defending himself when he stabbed Kevin Kozicki, 28, seven times in summer 2005. The Whyte Avenue car wash where Kevin Kozicki was fatally stabbed in June 2005.(CBC) The incident began as an argument along the popular nightclub strip in the early hours of June 13 and continued as Kozicki and some of his friends followed Harrison and some others into a back alley near 105th Street and 82 Avenue. "I am satisfied that Mr. Harrison subjectively apprehended that in an attack by Mr. Kozicki, he would be in danger of being killed or suffering grievous bodily harm," the judge wrote, noting Kozicki was eight inches taller, 50 pounds heavier and eight years older than the accused. "I am also satisfied his apprehension was in the circumstances objectively reasonable." Victim's family 'shocked' at verdict Outside court Friday, the victim's family said the justice system failed them. "We are absolutely shocked," Kozicki's mother, Lee, said. "Yes, our son was drunk. But what has happened here today is this judge has said, 'If you're tall and you get drunk on Whyte Avenue, it is okay for somebody to stab you, not once but seven times,'" she said. Harrison was found guilty of obstructing a peace officer but will not face any added jail time because he has been in the Edmonton Remand Centre for more than a year.

Svekla compares dead bodies to stolen goods

February 28, 2008 Svekla compares dead bodies to stolen goods Accused killer blames woes on his own 'blabber-mouth' By GLENN KAUTH, SUN MEDIA Jordan Verlage/Special to the SUNThomas Svekla compared finding two dead bodies to someone being found with stolen goods, wiretap evidence played at his murder trial Thursday reveals. “Think of it as stolen property, right? You’re caught with stolen property, it doesn’t mean you stole it, right?” Svekla said almost two years ago. The accused killer made the comments during a phone conversation with his sister Donna Parkinson from the Edmonton Remand Centre. Thursday, court heard a recording of the August 2006 chat. Svekla, who is accused of murdering two prostitutes, chalked up his legal troubles to a set-up by people who are out to get him. “I’ve got enemies in High Level,” he said, referring to the northern Alberta town where he allegedly found the body of one of his alleged victims, 36-year-old Theresa Innes, in a hockey bag in his truck. He noted people there knew the vehicle well and that some of those who didn’t like him had vandalized it on a few occasions. Svekla, 39, also blamed his notoriety on his own “blabber-mouth.” As a result, he couldn’t help talking about his discovery of the body of his other alleged victim, 19-year-old Rachel Quinney, in a field in 2004, something he said contributed to his troubles. Everyone in High Level, he said, “knew about that story about Rachel Quinney.” But despite his reputation, Svekla expressed confidence the courts will find him not guilty of murder. Lawyers, he told Parkinson, were knocking on his door to take on his case, one he maintained is a “winner.” fctAdTag("bigbox",MyGenericTagVar,1); “You were caught with a body, but that’s it. There’s no evidence stating that you murdered her, that person,” Svekla quoted his lawyer as telling him. But Svekla also worried that police were working extra hard to prove him guilty. “They’re trying to prove I’m a serial killer,” he said, expressing concerns he’s being depicted as the “(Robert) Pickton of Alberta.” Police, he added, “are really digging deep. They’re talking to people in high school about me.” Besides the wiretaps, court also heard from one of Svekla’s former co-workers who picked him up shortly after he found Quinney’s body east of Edmonton in 2004. Svekla, Rory Campbell testified, talked about the discovery but said he couldn’t tell if the body was of a man or a woman. Shortly after, Campbell took his friend to his home in Edmonton, where he stayed for three days. Svekla’s trial continues Monday. glenn.kauth@sunmedia.ca //

Svekla told sister being caught with body doesn't mean he's a killer

'I was set up' Svekla told sister being caught with body doesn't mean he's a killer Ryan Cormier edmontonjournal.com Thursday, February 28, 2008 CREDIT: John Lucas/Edmonton Journal Thomas Svekla before a court appearance last year EDMONTON - Thomas Svekla compared being caught with a dead body to being caught with stolen property, his double-murder trial heard today. Investigators taped a phone call Svekla made to his sister Donna Parkinson on Aug. 27, 2006, from the Edmonton Remand Centre, then played it for the court. "Think of it as stolen property," Svekla told his sister, in reference to the body found in her truck in May 2006. "If you're caught with stolen property, it doesn't mean you stole it." The body was that of Theresa Innes. Svekla referred to himself as "a Pickton of Alberta" a second time when talking about being labelled as a serial killer by the media. Court heard other tapes on Wednesday where Svekla made the same reference to B.C. serial killer Robert Pickton, who was convicted last year of killing six women. Svekla was referring then to his fame in the Edmonton Remand Centre. When Parkinson asked Svekla why he told so many people about finding the body of Rachel Quinney, he replied "I'm a big blabbermouth, you know?" Svekla complained to his sister that RCMP investigators had told his friends in High Level bad, untrue things about him. "I was well-known in High Level for being a dangerous guy. I was set up." Svekla, a 39-year-old mechanic, faces two second-degree murder charges in connection with the deaths of Quinney, 19, and Innes, 36. Quinney's body was found in a farmer's field outside Edmonton in June 2004. Svekla has pleaded not guilty. He is the only person to be charged by Project Kare, a task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of more than 70 people living high-risk lifestyles, including sex-trade workers. rcormier@thejournal.canwest.com © Edmonton Journal 2008

Accused fears he's seen as 'Pickton of Alberta'

Accused fears he's seen as 'Pickton of Alberta' Last Updated: Wednesday, February 27, 2008 11:27 PM MT CBC News The man accused of killing two prostitutes in the Edmonton area told his sister that he feared for his life in jail because he's perceived as the "the Pickton of Alberta." The conversation between Thomas Svekla and his sister, Donna Parkinson, was secretly recorded by police at the Edmonton Remand Centre in August 2006, three months after Svekla was arrested and charged with second-degree murder. The wiretap conversation was played at Svekla's trial in Edmonton on Wednesday. "There's some people who are out to get me," Svekla told his sister when she came to the jail to visit him. "If I'm in the paper, I'm in the news, I become a target. "That's the serial killer. Let's get him. I'm the Pickton of Alberta." Robert William Pickton, a B.C. pig farmer, was convicted in December of the second-degree murder of six women who went missing from Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. He is accused of killing 20 other women and is scheduled to face a second trial at a later date. Svekla's sister turned her brother in to police in 2006 after she opened up the hockey bag he left in her Fort Saskatchewan home, northeast of Edmonton, and found a dead woman's body wrapped in plastic. The remains turned out to be those of Theresa Innes, 36, one of the two women Svekla is accused of killing. He's also charged in the death of Rachel Quinney, 19. Svekla forgives sister for turning him in Svekla, in the recorded conversation, told his sister that he wasn't mad that she called the RCMP about the discovery. "You did good," he told her. "You did what was right." But in a separate conversation recorded with his mother the next day, also played in court, Svekla admitted he wanted to make his sister feel guilty so that she would not testify against him. But Parkinson has since taken the stand, telling the court on Monday about the day she discovered the body. She is considered one of the Crown's key witnesses. 'They don't have evidence' During the conversation with his sister, Svekla said he didn't believe he would be convicted of killing Innes and Quinney. He told police he didn't kill Innes, but was transporting her body back from the northern Alberta town of High Level so she could be buried in the Edmonton area. He also told authorities he didn't kill Quinney, but only stumbled upon her mutilated body by chance when he went into a wooded area east of Edmonton to relieve himself after smoking crack cocaine for several hours with a prostitute. "There's no evidence — they don't have evidence," Svekla told his sister. "They can't hold me here, so they're going to let me go. "They have nothing, Donna, I might be getting out of here next year." He told his sister that once he was acquitted, he would sue the Alberta government and collect hundreds of thousands of dollars. Svekla is the first person to be charged by Project Kare, an RCMP task force investigating the deaths and disappearances of dozens of women who worked in the sex trade.

'I'm like the Pickton of Alberta

'I'm like the Pickton of Alberta,' suspect told sister on tape Ryan Cormier Edmonton Journal Thursday, February 28, 2008 Thomas Svekla referred to himself as the "Pickton of Alberta" when describing how famous he was in jail, his double-murder trial heard Wednesday. The court heard recorded phone conversations Svekla -- accused of killing two prostitutes -- had with his sister and mother while he was being held at the Edmonton Remand Centre in August 2006. At one point, Svekla told his sister, Donna Parkinson, that a lot of other inmates in the remand centre were "out to get him." "If I'm in the paper, if I'm in the news, I become a target," he told her during a face-to-face visit. " 'There's that serial killer, let's get him.' I'm like the Pickton of Alberta." Svekla faces second-degree murder charges in the deaths of Rachel Quinney, 19, and Theresa Innes, 36. He has pleaded not guilty. Svekla made a point of telling his sister how famous he was in the remand centre, describing the special unit he was in. "They only keep 12 people up there. You have to be famous or well-known. People on the news." However, Svekla was apparently aware of the danger he was in and grew his hair long to try and avoid being recognized. Svekla told both Parkinson and his mother, Emily Svekla, he was going to make a lot of money once he was found not guilty and had filed a wrongful prosecution lawsuit. "I got a nice chunk of change waiting for me when this is all said and done." Svekla seemed confident he would walk away from his two second-degree murder charges. "They got nothing, Donna. I might get out next year, on bail. They can't hold me here," he said. "For a motive, they think I'm a serial killer. That's the only motive. I think it's kind of funny, actually." Svekla told his sister he had no idea how Theresa Innes died. Her body was identified as the one in a hockey bag Svekla left in Parkinson's truck in May 2006. His sister was suspicious of the contents of the bag and opened it. Once she found the body, she called police, Parkinson testified earlier this week. Svekla was worried there would have been a mess on his sister's garage floor once she opened the bag. "Did I make a mess?" He repeatedly asked. He added he didn't want to open the bag because it was "kinda squishy." Svekla also told Parkinson she had done the right thing by calling police. "Donna, you did good. Don't ever think you did wrong. You did the right thing, I love you." However, in a taped phone call the next day to his mother, Svekla said he didn't "totally forgive" Parkinson. "They're probably going to get her to testify. I'm trying to get her not to, you know what I mean?" © The Calgary Herald 2008

MAN ALLEGES ILLEGAL DETAINMENT

The Edmonton Sun March 2nd, 2008 MAN ALLEGES ILLEGAL DETAINMENT An Edmonton man is suing a neighbour, the city police and the Edmonton Remand Centre for $150,000, alleging he was arrested and detained for breaking into his own home and hit with drug charges after cops found pot plants during an illegal search. In a Feb. 11, 2008, statement of claim, Kelly Dryden alleges the unidentified neighbour maliciously told police about a Feb. 12, 2006, break-in in progress after his young son said Dryden had entered his north-side home through a window. Dryden alleges two cops then forced their way into his home and took him away in handcuffs, despite being told it was his house and there were bills on the fridge proving it. He claims he was strip-searched twice by police and once at the remand centre and was detained for 15 hours despite being ordered released on certain conditions by a justice of the peace. He also alleges the charges were later dropped.