Calgary Cold Case 1976: Patricia (Patsy) McQueen & Ava Dvorak

Sunday, February 15, 1976

Two 14 year old girls have been found dead West of the city under the happy valley overpass. Fully clothed, no visible gun shot wounds, no visible evidence of stabbing, they would not have died due to exposure.So What happened?Someone is hiding something, this case is still COLD 42 years later.

This overpass will eventually mark the area that is now referred to as Valley Ridge but at this time in 1976 this area was still a few miles out of the city of Calgary, city limits heading WEST. The Happy Valley area was a campground and amusement park from 1961 to the late 1970’s. Full of merry-go-rounds, carousel rides and a wading pool and the laughter of children, smell of hotdogs and the cracking of chips. This is a 28min drive by car direct from Ian Bazalgette junior high school to the place the girls bodies were found. If you look at a topical map of the city of Calgary from the SOUTH EAST area of the city to the far WEST end of the city heading out of town toward the rocky mountains a truly opposite direction from the girls end of town. Why here?

One of the girls, identified as Patricia McQueen

Patricia or Patsy as she was referred to resided at 2220 – 37 Street SE just SOUTH of highway 1a and EAST of 36 street in the Forest Lawn, Forest Heights area of Calgary. in 2012, 36 years later, the demographics in this forest lawn area had a population of almost 7500 people living in 3300 dwellings. Average household incomes in the year 2000 were almost 30% low income residents, approx 18 percent were immigrants, the main buildings and residents were condos and apartments styles and almost 60% were rental units – high density housing. From the web archive crime database as far back as I can go to 2002, still 35 years later Person crimes like asault, battery, robbery was 16/1000 and property crimes were things like break and entry, theft from vehicles etc was 57/1000.

When I look at the house Patsy lived in according to google images today this appears to be a 1950’s home Typical bungalow style with a 3 step porch up to the door, it has a short metal fenced front yard with a gates up the side walk, the house is an off white colour today with brown window trim. You can assume the two windows on the right are bedrooms and the large window on the left is the living room.

The second girl, identified as Eva Dvorak;

Of 3131 – 30 A avenue SE. – in the community of Dover, EAST of Highway 2 and south of Highway 1A. In 2012, 36 years later the demographics of the community of Dover had a population of 10,302 living in 4,722 dwellings and average household income in the year 2000 was $43,875 and approx 24% were low income residents. 15% of the residents were immigrants and almost 30% of the buildings were condo units, apartments and rental properties – high density housing. From the web archive crime database as far back as I can 2002, 35 years later; Person crimes like asault, battery, robbery was 16/1000 and property crimes were things like break and entry, theft from vehicles etc was 44/1000. Lower than in Forest Lawn but still significant.

According to google images today, Eva’s home was on the inside of a small cal...