CIRCUMSTANCES

On February 26th, 1977, the fully-clothed, strangled body of Barbara Maclean was discovered by a man walking his dog along a gravel road near 80th Avenue and 6th Street N.E, just north of the Calgary, Alberta City limits.

Barbara’s murder is part of a series called The Highway Murders in which young women were raped, strangled and left in remote areas along the Trans-Canada Highway.

Barbara moved from Nova Scotia to Calgary in October, 1976, and was working at the Palliser Square Branch of the Royal Bank. She began living with her boyfriend in November of 1976. Barbara was described as person who enjoyed socializing and one who frequented the local bars.

On the evening of February 25th, 1977, Barbara was at the Highlander Bar in Calgary, Alberta socializing with family and friends. At one point in the evening, Barbara got into an argument with her intoxicated boyfriend who was evicted from the bar. Barbara returned to the bar while her boyfriend waited outside in his 1970 dark green Volvo vehicle which was parked in the parking lot.

At 2:30 A.M. Barbara returned to the vehicle where she and her boyfriend argued again. The pair split after a heated argument leaving Barbara alone in the parking lot. Barbara, somewhat intoxicated, made the fatal decision to hitchhike to a party, however, she never arrived there. The person who gave Barbara a ride is responsible for her death.

• It is believed that Barbara was murdered at a location different from where her body was located.
• Gary McAstocker, 34, was a person of interest in Barbara’s murder. He was a sex offender who killed himself in 1994. He had just been released on parole after serving an 11 year sentence for a 1982 rape, and sexual assault in 1988. He killed himself hours before he was going to meet police for questioning in the murder of 14-year-old Tina McPhee.
• Authorities think this case is could be connected to the unsolved homicides of:
  • Melissa Ann Rehorek
  • Marie Goudreau
  • Oanh Ngoc Ha
  • Pauline Brazeau
  • Tara Jane White