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

[otto]

The investigation has been ongoing for several days. Police suspect there are more victims.

"Police charged Richard Robert Mantha with multiple offences after several women who work in the sex trade were allegedly kidnapped, drugged and sexually assaulted. ...

Between December 2021 and March 2023, police said at least three women were approached by a man on 19 Avenue S.E. in Forest Lawn, where the women were allegedly drugged, taken to a rural property east of the city, and physically and sexually assaulted.

The charges come after police had been searching for a number of days at an acreage located about 16 kilometres east of Chestermere, Alta., on Vale View Road in Rocky View County.

Richard Robert Mantha of Rocky View County, is charged with the following:

• One count of kidnapping.
• Two counts of forcible confinement.
• Two counts of administering a noxious thing.
• One count of sexual assault.
• Two counts of sexual assault with a weapon.
• One count of sexual assault causing bodily harm.
• One count of assault with a weapon.
• Two counts of uttering threats.
• One count of pointing a firearm.
• Three outstanding warrants for sexual assault, assault causing bodily harm and failure to attend court."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/sex-trade-criminal-charge-calgary-police-1.6806219

 

[otto]

Calgary police charge man with kidnapping, sexual assault following rural property investigation | Globalnews.ca

“Any time we're taking somebody off the street that is committing these types of horrendous crimes in our community, it's a big deal.”

globalnews.ca

 

[tarabull]

So THAT'S what's (been) going on in Chestermere!!! I wondered!!!

Eeeeeeeek.

 

[LadyL]

really only a matter of time until he started murdering IMO, unless of course he already has and the victims haven't been connected to him yet

glad they got him

 

[otto]

Summarizing what we know ... 59 year old man rented an out-building on a rural property 16 km East of Calgary approximately 18 months ago. Three women have come forward alleging assaults during that time.

Did Richard Robert Mantha, aka "Poncho," start drugging and kidnapping women at the age of 57? What else do we know about him?

"Calgary Police Service Supt. Cliff O’Brien said the three outstanding warrants were “from RCMP jurisdiction” but declined to provide further details.​

​

Neighbours told Global News Mantha went by the nickname “Poncho.”​

​

The owners of the shop space Mantha was renting said he had been a tenant from them for about a year and a half, describing him as a “bit of a hoarder.”​

​

“He would be driving in the middle of the night with his big truck,” Muriel Lock said Friday."​

Global News

"Officials say three women came forward to police saying they had been approached between December 2021 and March 2023 by a man on 19th Avenue S.E.​

​

Investigators say the victims claimed they were drugged and taken to a rural property east of the city where they were physically and sexually assaulted."​

CTV News

"A 59-year-old Alberta man has been charged with multiple offences in relation to incidents where he allegedly targeted women who worked in the sex trade in Calgary."​

CBC

 

[otto]

Just an opinion, but I think he rented the storage shed because he has been assaulting women for a long time, and wanted to spend more time with his victims. He rented the quonset/ shed for roughly 18 months and there are three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023. That's not a first timer, in my opinion.

Bodies have been found East of Calgary. Does Mantha have a criminal record? Has he submitted DNA in the past, and will his DNA match other victims in the area? If anyone knows the names of prior victims found in that area, I'll add them to a map. Here's one:

"A 25-year-old woman ... Victoria Levesque’s remains were found near Lyalta on Saturday. Lyalta is located about 50 kilometres east of Calgary."​

​

Alberta RCMP continue to investigate her death."​

Global News, February 2017

Began investigation in March 2023. Suspect has three outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions in Alberta. Different pieces of information came together from different sources in order to identify the suspect.

 

[MistyWaters]

A little more background info.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/richard-mantha-sexual-assault-drugging-sex-trade-workers-1.6807394

“According to a lawsuit filed in the Court of King's Bench, Mantha worked as a truck driver for a Calgary company.

He's faced charges before, from Whitecourt and Sherwood Park to Calgary and Strathmore….

……Last summer, Mantha was arrested by Strathmore RCMP and charged with sexual assault and assault causing bodily harm against a woman.

The case was working its way through the court system, but three weeks ago Mantha was accused of missing a court appearance.

Warrants were issued and Mantha was charged with failing to attend court.

Around the same time, Calgary police became involved, investigating Mantha for crimes related to Calgary sex trade workers.…”

 

[otto]

That's a big area for a trucker. I'm curious how long he worked as a truck driver and what type of truck. Maybe there will be an answer for this missing woman in 2015: Amber Tuccaro

 

[Gina20]

"...the search could be expanded to other properties."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/richard-mantha-sexual-assault-drugging-sex-trade-workers-1.6807394

Here we go. Very likely this man is a serial murderer, in addition to being a serial rapist. Police could be seen picking up a black dress from the ground in footage provided by Global early in the search. If a dress was left out in plain sight and nobody living on the property noticed, how long has this guy been taking victims? He kept one woman for more than a year and nobody noticed. No routine inspections by the landlord?

Oh, and he ran over a Volkswagen at a traffic light.

 

[Gina20]

Just an opinion, but I think he rented the storage shed because he has been assaulting women for a long time, and wanted to spend more time with his victims. He rented the quonset/ shed for roughly 18 months and there are three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023. That's not a first timer, in my opinion.

Bodies have been found East of Calgary. Does Mantha have a criminal record? Has he submitted DNA in the past, and will his DNA match other victims in the area? If anyone knows the names of prior victims found in that area, I'll add them to a map. Here's one:

"A 25-year-old woman ... Victoria Levesque’s remains were found near Lyalta on Saturday. Lyalta is located about 50 kilometres east of Calgary."​

​

Alberta RCMP continue to investigate her death."​

Global News, February 2017

Began investigation in March 2023. Suspect has three outstanding warrants from other jurisdictions in Alberta. Different pieces of information came together from different sources in order to identify the suspect.

If you look at those places, he could have been trucking supplies to the oilpatch. The CBC article mentioned that other jobs were listed in court documents, but did not give details.

Given his age, this could have been going on for decades. Was he in B.C. on the Highway of Tears?

 

[Gina20]

Bringing this over from the Vida Smith thread.

Victimization of Prostitutes

Scroll down to "Calgary Cases Since 1985".

 

[otto]

"...the search could be expanded to other properties."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/richard-mantha-sexual-assault-drugging-sex-trade-workers-1.6807394

Here we go. Very likely this man is a serial murderer, in addition to being a serial rapist. Police could be seen picking up a black dress from the ground in footage provided by Global early in the search. If a dress was left out in plain sight and nobody living on the property noticed, how long has this guy been taking victims? He kept one woman for more than a year and nobody noticed. No routine inspections by the landlord?

Oh, and he ran over a Volkswagen at a traffic light.

Why are three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023 alive? If he is a murderer, why would he let them live? Is it because they were drugged so he believed they could not identify him or the property?

Do you have a link to the "black dress ... plain sight ... nobody noticed ... He kept one woman for more than a year ... nobody noticed." I haven't seen that anywhere. I've heard three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023.

 

[Gina20]

That's a big area for a trucker. I'm curious how long he worked as a truck driver and what type of truck. Maybe there will be an answer for this missing woman in 2015: Amber Tuccaro

Nisku is full of oilfield service and equipment suppliers. There are truck stops, too. Amber Tuccaro and the other murdered women found nearby should be on the radar in the present investigation. It's sickening to think how many people could have been victims of victim this man.

 

[Gina20]

Why are three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023 alive? If he is a murderer, why would he let them live? Is it because they were drugged so he believed they could not identify him or the property?

Do you have a link to the "black dress ... plain sight ... nobody noticed ... He kept one woman for more than a year ... nobody noticed." I haven't seen that anywhere. I've heard three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023.

The black dress is at 00:19.

Huge police presence on rural property east of Chestermere | Watch News Videos Online

Watch Huge police presence on rural property east of Chestermere Video Online, on GlobalNews.ca

globalnews.ca

 

[Gina20]

Why are three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023 alive? If he is a murderer, why would he let them live? Is it because they were drugged so he believed they could not identify him or the property?

Do you have a link to the "black dress ... plain sight ... nobody noticed ... He kept one woman for more than a year ... nobody noticed." I haven't seen that anywhere. I've heard three victims between Dec 2021 and Mar 2023.

Charges against alleged Alberta kidnapper span more than a year | Globalnews.ca

Disturbing new details have emerged of the charges facing a man at the centre of a Calgary police investigation.

globalnews.ca

Court documents show alleged Alberta kidnapper kept victim for over a year​

The charges that allegedly stem from interactions with the third victim come from a much wider time range of August 2021 to November 2022. With that victim, Mantha is accused of sexual assault, unlawful confinement, threats of cause death or bodily harm and pointing a firearm.

 

[Gina20]

The building searched by police was the home of the man now charged.

'Sexual violence is on the rise' Calgary advocates say as a suspected serial rapist is charged

The heinous crimes allegedly committed by 59-year-old Richard Robert Mantha over the span of 15 months has advocates of sex trade workers speaking up on the fear and safety issues plaguing working women.

calgary.ctvnews.ca

Mantha was renting one shop on the property from the land and homeowners to store stuff and live in.

 

[otto]

If you look at those places, he could have been trucking supplies to the oilpatch. The CBC article mentioned that other jobs were listed in court documents, but did not give details.

Given his age, this could have been going on for decades. Was he in B.C. on the Highway of Tears?

I don't think so. There are some teens who disappeared in Edmonton

here's one: 2020, 14 year old at a shopping mall
another: 2011, two teens

Edmonton isn't on the Highway of Tears, as far as I know, but construction workers travel through Leduc, Edmonton and along the Highway of Tears for work.

 

[AutumnFalls]

"...the search could be expanded to other properties."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/richard-mantha-sexual-assault-drugging-sex-trade-workers-1.6807394

Here we go. Very likely this man is a serial murderer, in addition to being a serial rapist. Police could be seen picking up a black dress from the ground in footage provided by Global early in the search. If a dress was left out in plain sight and nobody living on the property noticed, how long has this guy been taking victims? He kept one woman for more than a year and nobody noticed. No routine inspections by the landlord?

Oh, and he ran over a Volkswagen at a traffic light.

Routine inspections aren't the norm around here, at least not as far as I know. I've been a renter in Alberta for over ten years and I've never had one. I also expect that it would happen even less out on a rural property.

 

[otto]

Charges against alleged Alberta kidnapper span more than a year | Globalnews.ca

Disturbing new details have emerged of the charges facing a man at the centre of a Calgary police investigation.

globalnews.ca

Court documents show alleged Alberta kidnapper kept victim for over a year​

The charges that allegedly stem from interactions with the third victim come from a much wider time range of August 2021 to November 2022. With that victim, Mantha is accused of sexual assault, unlawful confinement, threats of cause death or bodily harm and pointing a firearm.

Thank you! August 2021 to November 2022. That a long time.
Does that mean that he rented the shed from August 2021 until March 2023?

"For the first alleged victim, Mantha is accused of sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, assault with a weapon, assault causing bodily harm, unlawful confinement and administering a noxious thing.

With the second alleged victim, he is accused of kidnapping/confinement, administering a noxious thing, sexual assault with a weapon, and threats of causing death or bodily harm.

The charges that allegedly stem from interactions with the third victim come from a much wider time range of August 2021 to November 2022. With that victim, Mantha is accused of sexual assault, unlawful confinement, threats of cause death or bodily harm and pointing a firearm."​

Global News

 

[Gina20]

I don't think so. There are some teens who disappeared in Edmonton

here's one: 2020, 14 year old at a shopping mall
another: 2011, two teens

Edmonton isn't on the Highway of Tears, as far as I know, but construction workers travel through Leduc, Edmonton and along the Highway of Tears for work.

From Whitecourt to Grande Prairie, to Dawson Creek, to Prince George, then west to Prince Rupert? Just thinking of trucking routes. The Highway of Tears missing and murdered aren't the only ones, though. Here are a few more:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/skull-found-in-alberta-was-2nd-missing-teen-s-1.1062383

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/grande-prairie-missing-person-jody-hockett-investigation-1.4562876

No, Edmonton is not on the Highway of Tears.