Twenty-one-year-old Brianna Danielle Torvalson was described by her family as a “loving, caring, beautiful, irreplaceable soul” who struggled with significant challenges, including a drug addiction that drew her into a high-risk lifestyle, possibly involving sex work. At the time of her death, she was a mother to a newborn son, adding a layer of tragedy to her loss. Her family emphasized that she was not a “discarded, forgotten street person” but a young woman with hopes and dreams, battling personal demons that ultimately placed her in harm’s way.
Brianna’s body was found on the morning of February 21st, 2008, in a rural area near Township Road 534 and Range Road 220 in Strathcona County, Manitoba, Canada. The medical examiner confirmed the following day that her death was a homicide, though the specific cause of death was not publicly disclosed. It remains unclear whether she was killed at the location where her body was found or if it was dumped there after the murder.
The investigation was led by Project KARE, a joint task force of the RCMP and Edmonton Police Service established to address a series of murders and disappearances of women in the Edmonton area, many of whom were involved in the sex trade or led high-risk lifestyles. Project KARE was formed in the wake of policing failures elsewhere, such as the Robert Pickton case in Vancouver, and aimed to solve cases involving vulnerable women, a disproportionate number of whom were Indigenous.
Brianna was known to police, and there were indications she may have engaged in risky behaviors, such as stealing from clients, which some speculate could have contributed to her targeting. A post on the Websleuths forum mentioned rumors of a pimp or individual named “Jerome” being involved, though no official confirmation of this has been documented.
Despite the efforts of Project KARE, Brianna’s case remains unresolved. Police appealed to the public for information, particularly from anyone who may have seen suspicious activity in the area between Wednesday night and Thursday morning or who had recent contact with Brianna. However, no suspects or persons of interest have been publicly named, and the case has faded from media attention since 2008, much to the frustration of those seeking justice.
Brianna’s murder is part of a disturbing pattern of homicides in the Edmonton area, particularly along the Yellowhead Highway 16 corridor, often referred to as the “Highway of Tears” in other parts of Western Canada. The Globe and Mail reported in 2016 that Project KARE investigated dozens of similar cases, with many victims found in rural areas outside Edmonton. Between 1986 and 2016, at least forty-nine homicides involving female victims found outdoors were examined, with only twenty-two percent resulting in charges—a stark contrast to the national average of nearly ninety percent for female homicides solved between 1980 and 2012.
The Edmonton region saw other victims like Rachel Quinney (2004) and Delores Brower (2004), whose cases were also linked to high-risk lifestyles and remain unsolved or only partially resolved. While some cases, such as those of Connie Grandinetti (1997) and Nina Courtepatte (2005), led to convictions, the majority, including Brianna’s, have not. The involvement of serial offenders, such as Thomas Svekla, convicted for the murder of Theresa Innes, was considered, but Brianna’s death occurred after Svekla’s arrest in 2006, ruling him out as a suspect.
In 2024, the Alberta RCMP linked four historical homicides from the 1970s to a deceased serial offender, Gary Allen Srery, using advanced DNA analysis and Investigative Genetic Genealogy. However, there is no evidence connecting Srery to Brianna’s case, as his criminal activity predates her murder, and he died in 2011.
As of 2025, Brianna Danielle Torvalson’s murder remains unsolved, with no new leads reported since 2008.
Crime Immemorial 