Families of Eva Dvorak and Patsy McQueen still hope for break in cold case

Martha Dvorakpulls out a stash of yellowed newspaperclippings detailingthe discovery and subsequent police investigation into the deaths of her youngersister Eva Dvorak and a girlfriend,Patsy McQueen, onFeb. 15,1976.

They show the investigation garnereda lot of attentionat first, but it quickly faded. Media coverage of thisunsolved caseis now limited to major anniversary dates,like this oneat 40 years.

"It just seems like nobody cares,you know, and I mean it's 40 years and it still hurtsfor both of the girls," said Dvorak.

Bodies dumped

According to RCMP and family accounts, the 14-year-old girls had been caught drinking at their school,Ian Bazalgette Junior High, in the southeast community of Dover, around noon on a Friday. The two were sent home but never made it.

By some accounts, but not confirmed by the RCMP,the teens were spotted walking along downtown'sNinth AvenueS.E.in the early morning hoursof Sunday.

Severalhours later, at 10:30 a.m.,a Calgary man found their bodiesalong Highway1west of the city.

Police say the girlswere dumpedunder the overpass to theHappy Valley Recreation Centre, which isnow the community of Valley Ridge.

An autopsydetected some alcohol and drugs in their systems, but it couldn't determine a cause of death.

I think about it every day, I always wonder what she'd be like, it's hard- Martha Dvooak, Eva's sister

Since then the Dvorak and McQueenfamilies have spent many days and yearswondering why.

"We don't know what happened that's the thing. And that kinda eats at you, you know? If you knew, then it probably would add some closure to it," said Gord McQueen, Patsy's older brother.

"You think about it all the time, I mean I do, and I know my brothers and sisters dotoo. They think about it all the time," said McQueen.

Cases are never closed

RCMPsay over the years, they've received many tips on this file which have been worked and followed up on, but unfortunately theydidn'tlead to any arrests.

Yet they remain confident, this case could be solved with the right bit of information.

"There's a very strong likelihood that theperson who is responsible or the person who knows that information is still alive and we are hopeful they will come forward tell us their story," said Corp. Sharon Franks.

Franks saysanytime a new investigator is assigned to the file, they review it justin case something has been missed.

"It'snever closed and if new information does comes in Iknow it is something that is worked on immediately because we want to close the distance. It'sbeen 40 years now,we don'twant to make it longer," saidFranks.

Peace of mind

Both families say they often think about the girls, but it gets harder this time of year.

"Oh I think about it every day, I always wonder what she'd be like, it's hard," said Martha Dvorak."Just want to know who and why, why they did it, I mean I don't know how they could live their life knowing what they did to two young beautiful girls, 14 years old, that's all they were."

"I loved her she was my sister. She was a good girl. She was fun to be around. She was a normal little girl," said Gord McQueen.

"I would like to find closure, just to find closure."