Update: The RCMP say autopsies done in Winnipeg on B.C. homicide suspects Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky suggest the two died in what appears to be suicides by gunfire. Both men were dead for a number of days before they were found.
The RCMP can also confirm that two firearms were also located with the two deceased males and forensic analysis is underway in order to definitively confirm that these weapons are connected with the northern BC homicide investigations.
After a weeks-long manhunt, RCMP announced Wednesday that Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod are believed to be dead.
Manitoba RCMP said officers located two male bodies, believed to belong to the suspects, near the shoreline of the Nelson River. The discovery was made at 10 a.m. Wednesday morning.
Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy said at a press conference that she is “confident” the bodies belong to the suspects, but cannot confirm until autopsy results are determined.
MacLatchy said the two bodies were found in a “dense bush” area, roughly eight kilometres from where a burnt vehicle was found days earlier.
She explained that RCMP found a “critical piece of evidence” on Friday that allowed them to focus on certain areas and carry out a search on foot.
“Following this discovery, we were at last able to narrow down the search. We immediately sent in specialized RCMP teams to begin searching nearby high probability areas,” MacLatchy said.
On Saturday, RCMP had said they found “several items” directly linked to the suspects along the banks of the Nelson River but did not provide details on what the items were.
Schmegelsky and McLeod, both aged 19, were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Vancouver man Leonard Dyck. They were also suspects in the shooting deaths of Australian Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese of North Carolina.
News of the suspects’ possible deaths ended the cross-country manhunt, which had involved the RCMP, local police forces and the Canadian military.
Police had originally described Schmegelsky and McLeod as missing persons before naming them as suspects in the murders on Tuesday, July 23. They were wanted on a Canada-wide warrant.
The manhunt focused largely on Western Canada, and specifically northern Manitoba, but extended to Ontario after some residents reported seeing “two suspicious males.”
The pair were last confirmed to be spotted in Gillam, which is about 740 kilometres north of Winnipeg, on July 22.
Much of the search efforts had focused on Gillam, with RCMP and military resources deployed through the swampy, challenging terrain of northern Manitoba.
Police briefly shifted focus to the remote community of York Landing, which is about 200 kilometres southwest of Gillam, on July 28 after receiving a tip. But the lead was later determined to be unsubstantiated.
During Wednesday’s press conference, MacLatchy said she hopes the communities affected by the manhunt can rest a little easier.
“I know it has been so very difficult and I hope today’s announcement can begin to bring some closure,” she said.
“I want to thank the communities and leadership of Gillam, Fox Lake and York Landing. Your lives have been disrupted, many of you lived with uncertainty and fear, but you were resilient, came together as communities and helped our officers get the job done.”
She also thanked RCMP and police officers, and military members involved in the search.
“This was a search that could not have been successfully achieved without the help of our partners and Canadian Armed Forces — from RCMP employees who came in from across the country and multiple private partners.”
B.C. murder suspects Bryer Schmegelsky, Kam McLeod believed to be dead
