Edmonton police formally announced Friday that they are looking for a serial killer in the deaths of up to eight women involved in the sex trade.

"It is our belief that one person is responsible for more than one offence but not necessarily for all of these murders," said RCMP Const. Tamara Bellamy.

Project KARE, an RCMP-led task force looking into the deaths, says it's offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the death.

Bellamy, who is assigned to Project KARE, told a news conference she expects someone has information that will be helpful.

"The person responsible for these homicides is going to be somebody's neighbour. He may be somebody's brother. But he will likely not look like the monster that we see in the movies," Bellamy said.

The RCMP's behavioural sciences unit said they believe:

• The suspect drives a truck, van, or a sport utility vehicle, and is comfortable driving in rural areas. The vehicle is likely in good shape, with a significant amount of mileage.
• The suspect may participate in outdoor activities such as hunting, fishing, camping, and uses his vehicle for them.
• The suspect may have periodically cleaned the interior and exterior of his vehicle, perhaps at times that are unusual for this particular individual.
• The suspect likely has a past or present connection to the areas south of Edmonton, perhaps Leduc, Camrose, New Sarepta, or the surrounding communities. He may have lived or worked in those areas, has family or friends in the area, or has used the area for recreational purposes.

Police noted that the profile includes a cooling-off period between murders, but concede that the time between killings is getting shorter.

The task force says it usually wouldn't release a profile in a serial killer investigation. However, they think there are people in the Edmonton area who know the offender and may suspect his involvement.

"We're hoping this will generate a flood of calls. We'd love nothing less than for that to happen," said RCMP Cpl. Wayne Oakes.

"We are one phone call away from making an arrest in this file," Bellamy added.

Harvey Cenaiko, Alberta's solicitor-general, rejected any notion the effort to involve the public was born of desperation.

"... This is another tool police services and in this case, the RCMP, can use in a very complicated investigation," he told reporters.

Since 1983, the bodies of almost two dozen prostitutes have been found in and around the Alberta capital.

Police say they are linking the serial killer to just the deaths since 1998. Eight prostitutes have been murdered since then.

The most recent discovery was in early May, when a murdered sex-trade worker was found in a field in Sherwood Park, east of Edmonton. Police would not reveal the cause of death for the 33-year-old woman, identified as Ellie May Meyer.

A farmer tilling a field found the body. Meyer's body was located a few kilometres from the site where two other sex-trade workers, Monique Pitre and Melissa Munch, were found dead in January 2003.

A month before, the burned remains of Charlene Marie Gauld were found down a dirt road near Camrose. She was just shy of her 21st birthday.

The bodies of at least four other prostitutes have been dumped south and east of Edmonton in the past two years, usually in fields.

"I really do believe there are people out there that know," said Kathy King. Her daughter Cara, a sex trade worker, turned up dead in a field near Sherwood Park in 1997. Cara's killer has never been found.

RCMP have admitted there could be a link between some of the killings but have been reluctant to admit they suspected a serial killer.

To date, police have not managed to generate any strong leads in any of the deaths.

On Thursday, Alberta Justice Minister Ron Stevens said he is pushing for a new law so that all convicted johns would be obligated to provide a DNA sample.

He said the idea could help generate a list of possible suspects linked to the deaths.

With a report from CTV's Deborah Shiry

Anyone with information is asked to contact:

Project KARE, Toll Free: 1-877-412-KARE (5273)
or locally: 495-KARE (5273)