Canada - Richard Robert Mantha: kidnap, drug & assault several women, Chestermere, Alta., 2021–2023

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Mantha's bail hearing has been delayed as a result of his lawyer awaiting disclosure on the new charges. The lawyer has requested a hearing on May 26. She has also requested a translator for her client.

calgaryherald.com

Man accused of sexually assaulting sex trade workers faces new charges, bail hearing delayed

Alleged serial sex offender Richard Robert Mantha will have to wait at least two more weeks to learn if he'll be freed pending trial.
calgaryherald.com calgaryherald.com

newsroom.calgary.ca

Additional charges laid against Richard MANTHA

We have laid additional charges in an investigation into the alleged kidnapping, drugging and sexual assault of multiple women from the Calgary area.Following the announcement of charges being laid on Monday, April 10, 2023, two additional women have come forward to report that they had also...
newsroom.calgary.ca newsroom.calgary.ca

These additional assaults took place in an area called Motel Village in northwest Calgary and at a residence in a heavy industrial area near truck stops and a weigh scale, as well as the rural property previously noted. Five victims have come forward so far.

Motel Village became known for criminal activity, suspicious deaths and murders over the years. One former hotel nearby mentioned in the article below was the Highlander.


ucfiles.com

Murder of Barbara Jean Maclean and Melissa Rehorek

RCMP investigators also suspected her killer might be the same man who killed Melissa Ann Rehorek, 20, who was found Sept. 16, 1976, in a ditch along a gravel road about 20 kilometres west of Calgary
ucfiles.com ucfiles.com

Mantha had worked for a trucking company in the past.
 
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vidocqtor said:
I wonder if he is involved in the death of Jennifer Ashley Foley. Her body was recovered on a rural road in Chestermere not long ago.
Click to expand...
cochranenow.com

RCMP turn to public for help for information surrounding discovery of human remains

An investigation is currently underway after the discovery of human remains in the northwest area of Chestermere. A woman's body was found on Range Road 284 north of Chestermere Blvd on Jan. 15, 2021. The remains have been identified as 29-year-old Jennifer Ashley Foley from Calgary and area...
cochranenow.com cochranenow.com

This is within Mantha's timeframe of alleged assaults. He had alleged victims from 2020 onwards. Jennifer Ashley Foley's body was found on Range Road 284 north of Chestermere Blvd on January 15, 2021. Her exact whereabouts and date of disappearance are either not known or have not been released.

This rural road is west of Chestermere, north of Chestermere Blvd. and south of 17 Ave. S.E.. It could have been one of the routes he took to the rural property where he lived and eventually made the news.

I think it's fair to say that a geographical profiler would look at this location, timeframe and victim in relation to Mantha.
 
How close did "Poncho" come to taking "Avery's" life?

Avery says she was attacked, physically and sexually.

Court records show Mantha is accused of drugging Avery, choking her and using a knife during his attack.

Mother of three adult children "Avery" survived and kicked her drug habit. She is one of at least five victims. The question is, how many others might there be, and did any not survive to tell their stories?
 
Yes I think that the authorities would do well to reasses abductions and assaults throughout Alberta and in Mantha's old neighborhoods back east. As I recall there were suspicions of a serial rapist/killer(s) in and around Edmonton that also targeted the sex workers moreso (maybe this was already discussed in the thread so forgive me if so). Take this watchmojo link for what it is worth but perhaps more than couple serial offenders are acting in Alberta.

www.watchmojo.com

10 Unsolved Murders In Canada | Articles on WatchMojo.com

Evil lurks in the Great White North. For this list, we'll be looking at the most notorious unsolved slayings in Canada, with the people responsible still out there somewhere.
www.watchmojo.com www.watchmojo.com

"The Mystery Serial Killer of Alberta​

Since 1990, a mysterious serial killer has evidently been using the area around Calgary, Alberta, as their hunting ground, mostly targeting sex workers. The spree began with 17-year-old Joanne Shaver and seemingly ended in 1993 with 20-year-old Rebecca Boutilier. There are said to be around 7 victims. However, some believe the person responsible moved on to Edmonton, committing at least 12 further slayings against similar women. Even the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stated in 2004 that one person might be responsible for the Edmonton slayings. In 2003, the RCMP created Project Kare specifically to examine cases involving people from high-risk lifestyles. In 2005, the unit began to explore links between the Calgary and Edmonton cases. But the mystery sadly continues."

If as people have mentioned he faced charges in Whitecourt or Sherwood Park, AB that puts him on the radar. Not sure of the timeline is right though or if would have still been in Quebec during some of these historic cases.
 
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FWIW IMO Mantha/"Poncho" has been doing this to women for a long time. Thanks to the courage of survivors like Avery who came forward, this heinous excuse for a human won't be able to hurt any more people.

Hopefully LE are taking a very deep dive into this guys past.
 
Very curious about leaving his car with his sister in Quebec; who turned in the car evidence. He drove evidence to his sister's house, and then returned to his Calgary quonset and RV parking? Why?

"Mantha faces numerous charges, including kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance."​

calgary.ctvnews.ca

Unsealed court documents offer new disturbing details provided by Mantha's alleged victims

Disturbing new details about a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting women in Calgary have come to light, as court documents exposing accounts from his alleged victims have been unsealed.
calgary.ctvnews.ca calgary.ctvnews.ca
 
Mantha targeted street workers, like Robert Pickton, so they have something in common. They befriended vulnerable women, seemed harmless, and convinced street workers to get into the {Ponchos} truck and go for a ride - and then they ended up restrained in a Chestermere Lake quotset. Really?

Chestermere Lake quonset and no one wondered by there was so much garbage in their backyard?
 
at his age there is no way this is new - the news clip said he had a dozen cell phones 5 laptops and storage devices, wonder if they were his or someone else's. He's from Quebec, Christine Thibault is from the same town, and he was a trucker - I just wonder if this has been going on for years.
 
The latest on Mantha. From the ITO LE had learned he had claimed to have 3 victims buried in shallow graves, which was the reason for the extensive search of the property at the time of his arrest. Unfortunately it didn’t turn up anything although judging by the comments within this media report, Manchu is indisputably a vile, evil creature. It’s all too sickening to quote so here’s the link -

 
He wants to delay the proceedings because every day in pre-trial custody counts as 2 in post trial conviction.

"A French-language trial for a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting seven women at a rural property east of Calgary has been delayed.

Richard Robert Mantha, 59, faces numerous charges that include kidnapping, forcible confinement, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm and administering a noxious substance.

He was denied bail last summer and has been in custody since he was arrested April.

Defence lawyer Kim Arial says she will be making a severance application to split the complaints into seven separate trials."

calgary.ctvnews.ca

Delay in weeks-long trial for man accused of kidnapping, sex assault in Calgary

A French-language trial for a man accused of kidnapping and sexually assaulting seven women at a rural property east of Calgary has been delayed.
calgary.ctvnews.ca calgary.ctvnews.ca
 
His reason for wanting to sever the 7 charges, according to his lawyer, is that he wants to testify in response to some charges, but not all. He wants to disadvantage the prosecution.

I'm curious how a trial in French will play out Alberta. Although 2 percent of Albertans are native French speakers, they might speak French as it is spoken in France rather than the dialect that is spoken in Quebec. That adds another layer of translation during trial.

"But Mathurin did express concern that if the severance application is granted, it would require some of the complainants to testify three or four times.
...

Originally from Quebec, Mantha has exercised his right to be tried in French, a relatively rare occurrence in Alberta, with only about two per cent of residents speaking French as their mother tongue, according to the provincial government."

 
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