The mum of a backpacker brutally murdered alongside her boyfriend during a 'dream holiday' to Canada has shared her heartbreaking final texts.
Chynna Deese, 24, and Lucas Fowler, 23, were found dead on the side of the road after they were senselessly shot dead by twisted teens Kam McLeod, 18, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 19.
Chynna and Lucas had been on a road trip through northern British Columbia when their Chevrolet van broke down on July 15 last year.
They were shot dead by the twisted teens as they were left stranded around 20km outside of Liard Hot Springs on the Alaska Highway.
Now a year on from the brutal murder, Chynna's mum Sheila Deese shared the final texts she received on July 13 from her daughter just days before she was killed.
Chynna, from North Carolina, had just been reunited with boyfriend Lucas, from Sydney,
Shelia told news.com.au : "The last thing Chynna said to me was 'we won’t have Wi-Fi for a while so don’t worry mum and I love you'.
"So I wasn’t worried when I didn’t hear from her and plus she was with Lucas.
"There was not an ounce of worry I had about this trip because it was Canada, Canada was meant to be safe.
"Chynna had travelled to 13 different countries, why would anything happen to her in Canada? I never expected that I would never hear from my daughter again."
Witnesses saw the young couple were seen earlier in the day eating cheese and drinking chocolate milk by the side of the road before McLeod and Schmegelsky stumbled upon them during a sick murder spree.
The pair then shot and killed 64-year-old University of British Columbia botany lecturer Leonard Dyck just, four days later, despite the couple's murders sparking a nationwide manhunt.
They were not found until 15 days after the couple's murder after they both shot themselves dead in northern Manitoba bushland.
It is the injustice of what happened which makes it even more unbearable Shelia admits and she says she and Chynna's siblings Stetson, 31, Kennedy, 30, and British, 28, are still trying to come to terms with Chynna's death.
She said: "I know a few people who have lost a child but it’s different when your child is murdered.
"The fact that they looked at my daughter and decided to take her life I still struggle to understand. Chynna and Lucas were two beautiful people who should still be here."
Chynna and Lucas met in Croatia in 2017 and were described by both their families as being perfect for each other.
Speaking at Lucas’ funeral last year, New South Wales Police Chief Inspector Stephen Fowler said he was glad his son had found Chynna.
He said: "The day she stole Lucas’s heart she became part of her family.
"We were so happy he had met a life partner."
