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.

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 //