Police: Profile of beauty queen's murderer created while posing as nurse

SASKATOON – A criminal profile has been created of the person who killed a beauty queen while working as a nurse more than 60 years ago, police said.

Alexandra Wiwcharuk, 23, was last seen leaving her home at 1223 – 7 Ave. North in Saskatoon's City Park neighbourhood on May 18, 1962. Her body was found 13 days later and her murder remains unsolved.

“A profile of the suspect has been created, but due to the ongoing investigation we are unable to comment further,” Saskatoon Police Service (SPS) spokesman Easton Hamm said in an email to SaskToday.ca on Monday.

During the course of the investigation, hundreds of witness statements were taken and the SPS identified more than 50 people as suspects, many of whom were eliminated through DNA analysis, Hamm said.

“Larry Fischer has been ruled out as a suspect,” Hamm said.

Fisher was convicted in 1969 of the rape and murder of nursing assistant Gail Miller at Saskatoon City Hospital.

In 1962, police released a sketch of a boy they believed had “valuable information” about the death of Alexandra Wiwcharuk.

“Police believe the boy, who was believed to have been fishing in the area of ​​the dam on the night of the murder, may not have been aware that he was wanted,” the media reported. The story added that the boy was about 13 years old and the sketch may give the impression of an older person, but the facial features are accurate.

In 1962, serial rapist Larry Fisher, who was later convicted of the rape and killing of nursing assistant Gail Miller at Saskatoon City Hospital in 1969, would have been 13 years old at the time of the rape and murder of Alexandra Wiwcharuk.

Warning: Some readers may find details disturbing

Wiwcharuk, a nurse at Saskatoon City Hospital, was working the night shift and was scheduled to start at 11:30 p.m. on May 18, 1962. One of her roommates had reported her missing at 10:15 a.m. on May 19, 1962, Hamm said.

Her body was found almost two weeks later in a shallow grave.

“A group of children found her body and notified her father, who was fishing on the west bank of the river on May 31, 1962,” Hamm said.

According to media reports in 1962, her body was found partially naked and decomposed. Her face had probably been smashed with a concrete slab and she had been brutally attacked, police told reporters.

An autopsy report found that she was raped and was still alive when she was buried. Her skull was fractured in two places. Because of the skull fracture, pathologist Dr. EJ Andres believed she was unconscious when she was buried. She suffocated between 8:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. According to media reports in 1962, sand and dirt were found in her windpipe.

Earlier this month, SPS renewed its appeal to the public for information and announced that it was continuing to investigate this file using all investigative tools.

“With this renewed request, we hope that someone will come forward who knows what happened,” said Hamm.

Your information could help get Alexandra's family answers, police say.

Investigators believe citizens may have information that could help solve the case. Anyone with relevant information is asked to contact police directly at 306-975-8300 or submit an anonymous tip to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477.