Accused serial rapist spoke of 'shallow graves' as police connect him to dead woman: court docs

One woman whom Richard Mantha is charged with drugging and raping told officers she believes he's responsible for the death of a fellow sex trade worker whose disappearance police were actively investigating, according to newly unsealed court documents.

According to details disclosed to investigators by one of the women and detailed in the documents, Mantha told her just days before his April 6 arrest that he had "three shallow graves on his property and made statements about being able to make people disappear."

Mantha, 59, faces 20 charges.

The charges include sexual assault with a gun, sexual assault with a knife, kidnapping, forcible confinement and administering noxious substances. The charges are connected to allegations he drugged and raped five women who, at the time, worked in Calgary's sex trade. 

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The new details come from unsealed search warrant applications, which allowed police to search the accused serial rapist's vehicles and rented rural property, including a Quonset hut east of Chestermere, Alta. The warrants also allowed them to gain access to details on what prescriptions he was filling in hopes of understanding if the drugs could be connected to the allegations he drugged his victims. 

None of the allegations contained in the ITOs — informations to obtain, also known as search warrant applications — have been tested in court. 

The newly released details help explain why cadaver dogs as well as members of the Calgary Police Service's homicide and missing persons units were involved in the Mantha investigation and five-day search of his property.

Woman found dead owed Mantha money

During an interview with police in April, a woman whom CBC News will identify as JW — one of Mantha's alleged victims — told police she believes Mantha killed her friend Jennifer Foley.

In late 2020, Mantha wanted both JW and Foley, who were friends, to sell drugs for him, according to JW's police statement. 

Foley agreed and ended up owing Mantha $200, JW told officers. She also said Mantha threatened to kill Foley over the debt.

Around December 2020, Foley disappeared.

• Police ID woman found dead on rural road near Chestermere

About a month later, her body was discovered near Chestermere.

"In a statement to police, [JW] stated that she spoke with Poncho (Mantha) at the beginning of March 2023 and that he told her he had three shallow graves on his property and made statements about being able to make people disappear," reads the court document.

Mantha also told JW he was under police investigation, according to her statement. 

When Foley's body was discovered, police classified her death as "suspicious," with the RCMP's major crimes unit handling the investigation. 

No further updates have been made public since.

Pig mask, gun

The court documents also show police were initially concerned about a potential connection to a second missing woman, who is presumed to be dead. But Calgary police say that since the court documents were filed in April, they have ruled out Mantha's involvement.

Krystal Russell went by the name Trustice and has been missing since Dec. 31, 2022. 

Russell worked in the sex trade on and off to support a drug habit and disappeared from the Forest Lawn stroll area.

Police say that although they have ruled out a connection to Mantha, the investigation is still ongoing and invite anyone with information on Russell's disappearance to come forward. 

Campsite incident

One of Mantha's alleged victims is a woman CBC News will identifying as SP because her name is protected by a publication ban. 

SP told police Poncho would regularly drive around the stroll area wearing a pig mask, threatening her with a gun, saying he could have her killed if she told anyone about what he did. 

In another incident detailed in the court documents, SP told police that when she first met Mantha, he took her to a campground in 2021 "where an Indigenous female was present."

"Poncho became angry with the Indigenous female as she did not want to have sex," SP told police. 

Women's clothing found on Matha property

Mantha dragged the woman out of the tent by her shirt, according to SP's statement to investigators. When she woke up, SP said the other woman was gone.

"Poncho did not drive [SP] back to the city as he was cleaning something up around his truck and the area around it," reads the court document.

"Poncho did not allow her to get her belongings from the truck or go to the passenger side. [SP] never saw this Indigenous female again."

Several of the women allegedly victimized by Mantha told police he threatened them with a gun. They also said he had piles of women's clothing in his Quonset hut and trailer. 

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Mantha's alleged victims say he gave them food or drinks before they lost consciousness. They say they would wake up in his trailer inside the Quonset hut or in hotel rooms. 

One woman said she woke up in a hotel room with Mantha videotaping himself raping her. She told police he then made her watch the video. 

Several of the woman told police Mantha had a pig mask and a gun. 

Mantha is set to go on trial in Calgary in January. He has chosen to be tried in French.