Arrest in the 'Punky' Gustavson murder

[TJ]

http://canada.com/national/story.asp?id=%7BF18A4364-BF04-440E-B847-D3B58B29E2F4%7D

EDMONTON (CP) — Police have made an arrest in the sex slaying of a six-year-old girl, a crime that shocked a city and a nation more than a decade ago.

Clifford Matthew Sleigh, 40, will be charged with first-degree murder, kidnapping and aggravated sexual assault in the brutal killing of Corrine (Punky) Gustavson, announced retired detective Terry Alm, who spent more than a third of his 26-year career as the primary investigator in the case.

The child was snatched from her front yard Sept. 6, 1992. Her body was found two days later in a trucking yard outside the city. She had been sexually assaulted and smothered.

“Although I know that Punky’s family continues to experience the pain of losing her I hope that today’s arrest will help bring some closure to the 10-plus years that they have had to live with this uncertainly,” police Chief Bob Wasylyshen said at a hastily arranged news conference Friday.

“Any violent crime or homicide is shocking and abhorrent, but the murder of an innocent child is even more so.”

Sleigh will be brought from the medium-security Bowden Institution to Edmonton on Monday to face the charges.

He is serving a 13-year sentence in the central Alberta prison for sex assault, forcible confinement and various other charges.

Gustavson was nicknamed Punky, because of her spiky blonde hair. The U.S. television show Unsolved Mysteries featured the crime in May 1993 to an audience of millions.

Over the years police received several thousand tips but none of the information led to an arrest, until now.

[JohnMill]

This is great news!!! - Since it was reported on UM that the suspect was also suspected in several other assaults on children maybe more children (who would now be adults) will come out of the woodwork to accuse this man so that a strong case can be built against him so he is not let back out on the streets again

[Blackout805]

was that the guy who took her shoe, possibly as a souvinior for the crime?

if so, i remember that case

[typhoo]

They just played this segment sometime this week! :eek:

Well, it's good that the guy was caught. What a strange week this has been.

[Kane]

Originally posted by Blackout805
was that the guy who took her shoe, possibly as a souvinior for the crime?

if so, i remember that case

Actually, there was a three-year-old girl who went to look for her missing shoe, only to be attacked and left for dead. This girl, who survived, was apparently attacked by the same person who killed Punky.

[DK2]

Its great news that the show is still updating on its cases. I live in Edmonton, AB and thought I'd make a post here and write an email to Unsolved Mysteries about this case being solved. Good to know I didn't have to.
For this shocking case to be solved is a great message that there is still hope for loved ones to get closure to such terrible acts. Just like the Elizabeth Smart case in the States. Maybe more of these things will happen. DNA sure is breaking grounds on cases that have been cold.

[Allierain]

I am so glad they caught that sicko. The Punky Gustavson case is only one of two I remember that nearly scared me to death when I saw it.

[Or So It Seems]

Thanks for sharing the update. Is this the case where the perp wore those Mitre cleated shoes?

[an old friend]

Hey well this is a really old friend of (punkys)we used to play together when we were little girls..When i found out they caught him i was so happy i thought that man should do life.My dad was secrurity at the time she was upducted and her family called my dad and told him what had happened and he felt so bad and its was early in the morning.We had a big group of people her family and mine i was 6 at the time and we walked for hours looking for her..2 days later we found out that the police had located her body it was the sadest day of my life.The day of the funeral was so hard they played her faviorte song.......But it looks so good on him that they finally got him almost 12 years later......

[Dawnmarie]

Hey well this is a really old friend of (punkys)we used to play together when we were little girls..When i found out they caught him i was so happy i thought that man should do life.My dad was secrurity at the time she was upducted and her family called my dad and told him what had happened and he felt so bad and its was early in the morning.We had a big group of people her family and mine i was 6 at the time and we walked for hours looking for her..2 days later we found out that the police had located her body it was the sadest day of my life.The day of the funeral was so hard they played her faviorte song.......But it looks so good on him that they finally got him almost 12 years later......
Hey, um this is the first time being on this site but I've got alot of info about the case, and not to mention about Punky too. You see I was her best friend when she was taken and we both lived in Abottsfield, just a few blocks from eachother. I was there that day but its really weird, i remember everything, but the girl that said she was there totally said a different story, or so i think anyway.I didnt go to her funeral, it was way too hard I just did'nt want to believe it was true.My auntie Karen -her Mom- still lives in the same part of Edmonton that it happened in not in the same home ofcourse. But I went to the 3 week court trial for her and kept all the clippings. Clifford Matthew Sleigh got life without parole for the murder of Corrine (Punky) Gustavson.

[justins5256]

Do you know if they were ever able to ascertain whether Sleigh molested that other girl "Mandy" in the months before Punky's murder? Just curious. The details of both attacks were very similar.

[Dawnmarie]

By the way my name is Dawn Marie Coons. Im not sure who you are but if I knew your name my Dad might be able to tell me if we were close friends too. Im sure your dad might remember me if so I say hi, and if not well thats too bad.these are for the girl who called herself "AN OLD FRIEND", um thank you for listening and not for thinking that im saying or just making this all up because im totally not, I know so much about her still, even after all these years ill never forget her song or her favorite cookies. Or what we used to call her brother, Barry. But for everybody else, Justice was served and her family can finally have peace and closure, and if im correct her Mom (auntie Karen) quote int the paper after the sentencing that she knows she's (Punkys) looking down on them because she's her little Angel"....When Sleigh tried to apologize to the family Corrine's cousin Amanda Davies stood up and really rejected his tearful proposol, in which she was told (by the Judge) that if she made another comment she would have to leave. The last thing that im going to say is that Punky's brother, Barry, didnt go to any events or court cases because of the fact that Sleigh took his soulmate away from him, and has a hard time dealing with what happened.

[7hurricane]

wasn't this the case they actually thought her mother was involved in this as well?

[Kane]

wasn't this the case they actually thought her mother was involved in this as well?

I don't remember the segment mentioning anything about the mother being under suspicion (but if the cops suspected the mother, they probably kept it to themselves, due to a lack of evidence). You might be thinking of a different case.

The same season the Punky Gustavson murder was featured on UM (the 1993-94 season), the show did a story about the 1988 disappearance of a Pennsylvania girl named Lauren Maria Pico Jackson. Her mother was suspected, but the cops had no real proof that she was involved.

Jackson is listed at the Doe Network (a discouraging hint of her current status). You can go to the following link to see if you were actually thinking of this case:

http://doenetwork.us/cases/270dfpa.html

[Zdanax]

At the time Punky was abducted; I found out my sister drove the bus she was on; not to mention she knew her. She was very upset by it and after I heard of it I too was upset. I was born in Edmonton in 1951 but I live in Red Deer since 1966. I remember thinking at the time; who would do this horrible thing to a beautiful child and her family. I'm glad this man is put away and you know; I don't know which is worse; letting him sit in jail and ponder what he has done or put him out of his misery. Well I believe God will deal with the terrible man. I am glad they finally caught the man and put him away forever not to hurt any more children anymore. He is a sick and disturb man and doesn't deserve to ever get out!! Sorry for the family and I pray they find peace and pull back together for Punky's sake!!

[lilmissd]

I am so glad that they caught that animal. That is exactly what he was, he wasn't a man. It's such a shame though that it took police 12 years to arrest this man and bring him to justice. Who knows how many other kids that he hurt, Punky and Mandy may only be the tip of the iceberg. Does anyone know if he is involved with any other missing children cases? Guys like this don't quit until they get caught, maybe he had kidnapped other kids that the police no nothing about!

[kamy]

Just watched this one, so terrible. Does anyone know if Clifford Sleigh, the man convicted of murdering Punky, was ever linked to Mandy the other child in the segment (she survived but was left for dead in a field).

Thanks,
Kamy

[Mystery Man]

I remember this segment...
actually, I don't because it was too intense for me to even watch.