Police search of Edmonton park related to Project Kare

<p>EDMONTON – City police and the RCMP have sealed off a park in Edmonton’s river valley for a search connected to a long-running investigation into the deaths or disappearances of people with high-risk lifestyles.</p> <p>”Information has been obtained and it has pointed us in the direction of this park,” said RCMP Sgt. Tim Taniguchi. “We go where the evidence leads us.”</p> <p>Forensics officers and dog teams began combing the 1.6-hectare site Monday morning. The area is heavily wooded and is located directly across the North Saskatchewan River from the city’s downtown.</p> <p>Taniguchi wouldn’t say what police are looking for or if the search is linked to more than one investigation.</p> <p>He said the search has been planned for weeks. It’s intended to take three days.</p> <p>Project Kare is an RCMP-led unit created in 2003. Its original mandate was to examine the deaths of several high-risk persons found in rural areas surrounding Edmonton. It has since expanded to include cases of murdered or missing people who led high-risk lifestyles all over Alberta. </p> <p>The unit was responsible for the arrest of Thomas Svekla, now serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of prostitute Theresa Innes.</p>