Photograph: Reuters
The two fugitives responsible for a frantic manhunt across Canada recorded video confessions for the murders of three people – and planned for more victims before killing themselves, police revealed Friday.
At a press conference in Vancouver, the Royal Canadian Mounted police released a 13-page report detailing key findings of the extensive investigation, including the recovery six videos and three images from a camera.
In one video, 58 seconds in length, Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod claimed responsibility for two murders near a small town in northern British Columbia on 15 July 2019. The two targeted a tourist couple travelling in the region; police found American Chynna Deese, 24, and Australian Lucas Fowler, 23, with multiple gunshot wounds near their camper van.
Schmegelsky and McLeod also admitted to killing Vancouver botanist Leonard Dyck, whose body – found with a single gunshot wound – was discovered on 19 July.
But nowhere in the videos do the two young men express remorse for the murders, nor do they provide insights into the motivation behind their killing spree.
“They were cold. They were remorseless, matter of fact,” RCMP assistant commissioner Kevin Hackett told reporters.
The grim events kicked off one of the most extensive manhunts in Canadian history as the two young men fled across the country, eluding search teams for weeks. They passed over mountains and open prairie fields before finally slowing down amid the thick, swampy forests of northern Manitoba – a journey of nearly 3,000 km.
Police used drones, dogs and heat seeking cameras in the search for Schmegelsky, 18, and McLeod, 19. At one point, the Canadian military was deployed to comb through vast tracks of impenetrable wilderness.
It was only after discovering a series of items police believe were linked the young men near the town of Gillam, that their bodies were eventually found along the banks of a river on 7 August, more than two weeks after the exhaustive search had begun.
Police have decided not to release the videos “in an effort not to sensationalize the actions of McLeod and Schmeglsky” which could, in turn, prompt further acts of violence.
“Those who commit mass casualty attacks are heavily inspired by previous attackers and their behaviours,” the police report said.
From the videos, the police learned the two had initially intended to trek up northern Manitoba to Hudson Bay, where they would steal a boat and travel to either Europe or Africa.
But the fast-moving river where they spent their last days affected their ability to move, and in one video, they suggest they will likely have to kill themselves.
“We believe the location where they ended up affected their mobility,” said Hackett.
Knowing they were in their final days, McLeod and Schmegelsky shaved themselves, “plan[ning] to go back and kill more people and expect[ing] to be dead in a week,” said the police report.
According to forensic evidence, it is believed McLeod shot Schmegelsky with a rifle, before turning the weapon on himself. Police were also able to match the bullets used to kill Fowler and Deese to the murder of Dyck, nearly 500 kilometres away.
The same guns were also used in the suicide of the two young men and were found with them in Manitoba. One, a semiautomatic rifle, was purchased legally by McLeod. The other, police said, was built using multiple parts from a number of different guns.
Police also released details of a chilling encounter along the Alaska Highway, two days after Fowler and Deese were killed.
A driver had pulled over along the road to nap, but saw a man with a gun approaching his car.
“The male … started moving towards the witness in a tactical or hunting stance,” the report said. The driver quickly sped away.
As part of the investigation, police spoke extensively with family and friends, all of whom initially refused to believe the pair could be capable of cold-blooded violence, describing them as “good kids”.
After their abandoned vehicle was discovered, McLeod and Schmegelsky had initially been described to the public as missing persons. But on July 22, a witness approached police and suggested the two might have been involved in the murders.
“This is the first time that police learned that McLeod and Schmegelsky may be capable of the murders which conflicted with original witness statements from family and associates,” the report said.
The press conference and report mark the end of the high-profile case, in which police said they received more than 1,000 tips, but were nonetheless unable to determine a motivation for the crimes.
Suicide helplines in Canada and around the world can be found at www.befrienders.org. In the US, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255. In the UK and Ireland, Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org. In Australia, the crisis support service Lifeline is 13 11 14.
