UPDATE: B.C. murder suspects Bryer Schmegelsky, Kam McLeod believed to be dead
Editor’s note: An earlier version of this story said that Chynna Deese and Lucas Fowler were found dead in a van. Their van was found at the scene where their bodies were found, according to police.
A nationwide manhunt has ended for two young men from B.C. who were named by police as suspects in three deaths.
WATCH: More on the McLeod and Schmegelsky manhunt
-
![]()
Manitoba RCMP Assistant Commissioner ‘confident’ bodies found are those of Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod -
![]()
RCMP describes search in ‘very dense brush’ for B.C. murder suspects -
![]()
Hunt for B.C. murder suspects moves to York Landing, Man. after tip comes into RCMP -
![]()
Manhunt for B.C. murder suspects shifts to York Landing, Man. -
![]()
RCMP move manhunt to York Landing after possible sighting of B.C. suspects -
![]()
Focus shifts to York Landing, Man., as manhunt for B.C. suspects continues -
![]()
Focus shifts in manhunt for B.C. murder suspects -
![]()
Tips pour in as manhunt wears on for B.C. murder suspects -
![]()
Military support arrives in Northern Manitoba to assist manhunt
The two men, Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Vancouver man Leonard Dyck and were considered suspects in the fatal shootings of a tourist couple, Australian Lucas Fowler and American Chynna Deese.
RCMP say the bodies believed to be those of McLeod and Schmegelsky were located in the dense brush in Manitoba on Aug. 7.
Below is a timeline from beginning to end:
- B.C. Sikh leader ‘vindicated’ by arrest of Indian nationals in Nijjar killing
- How toy guns brandished by Ontario youth in ‘assassins game’ is prompting real fear
- London Drugs remains closed, says it is reviewing billions of lines of data
- Trump trial hears recording discussing hush money scheme: ‘What do we got to pay?’
July 13: Fort Nelson, B.C.
Fowler and Deese are spotted in security footage at a gas stop in Fort Nelson, B.C., on July 13. The couple is filling up Fowler’s blue van.
The families of the two victims said the couple was on a road trip through Canada. Fowler had been living in B.C. for work.
July 14: Liard Hot Springs, B.C.
A day later, Deese and Fowler’s van breaks down 20 kilometres south of Liard Hot Springs, B.C., on Highway 97.
Several passersby reported seeing them to police, including some who stopped to speak with the couple. Police are currently looking to speak with one unidentified man in particular who was seen speaking with the couple just before noon. They have released a sketch of the man.
The couple is found dead a day later, and their van was found at the scene. Police confirmed the couple was shot and the rear window of their vehicle was broken.
July 18: Dease Lake, B.C.
McLeod and Schmegelsky stop at Cassiar Mountain Jade store north of Dease Lake for free coffee that the shop hands out to motorists. Someone at the location recognizes the suspects and their red truck and calls police.
The two young men were not homicide suspects at the time but were believed to have gone missing while on their way to Yukon for work.
Surveillance video of the visit to the store is now in police custody.
July 19: South of Dease Lake
The red truck belonging to the suspects is found abandoned on Highway 37 — 50 kilometres south of Dease Lake — and is on fire.
The dead body of an unidentified man is found two kilometres from the vehicle. Police call the man’s death suspicious. He is later identified by investigators as 64-year-old Leonard Dyck, a sessional lecturer at the University of British Columbia.
July 21: Cold Lake, Alta.
Police say the suspects are spotted in the Cold Lake area at about 9:30 a.m.
A resident reportedly came to the assistance of two younger men in a Toyota RAV4 who had become stuck on a trail near the north end of town. Police say the resident didn’t realize the young men were wanted suspects until later that day.
July 21: Meadow Lake, Sask.
Police say the pair is seen in the northwestern Saskatchewan community of Meadow Lake on Sunday, two days after their truck was found.
The pair is now identified by police as “armed and extremely dangerous.”
Investigators release photos of McLeod and Schmegelsky taken in Meadow Lake and of the car they were believed to be driving at the time, a grey 2011 Toyota RAV4.
July 23: Manitoba
On July 23, B.C. RCMP reveal that McLeod and Schmegelsky are no longer missing persons but suspects in three deaths.
RCMP say the pair may be in Manitoba after a reported sighting in the northern town of Gillam.
Manitoba RCMP say the next day that they are following up on “numerous tips” regarding the two suspects. They urge the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police immediately.
A vehicle is burned and discarded near the Fox Lake Cree Nation reserve of Bird, which is about 55 kilometres away from Gillam. RCMP confirm the vehicle was used by the suspects.
July 25: Northeastern Manitoba
RCMP confirm on July 25 that the pair was last spotted twice in Gillam, Man. Police believe they are still in northern Manitoba, as there have been no stolen vehicle reports in the area.
The manhunt is now focused on the thick and boggy forests of northeastern Manitoba.
July 28: York Landing, Man.
The RCMP announce they are zeroing in on two people who they say match the descriptions of Schmegelsky and McLeod in York Landing, Man.
Earlier Sunday, the RCMP said officers were investigating an unconfirmed tip that the pair was in the York Landing area or close by.
On Tuesday, July 30, the RCMP pull out of York Landing with no new lead on the suspects.
July 31: Kapuskasing, Ont.
The Ontario Provincial Police says it is investigating a sighting of two “suspicious” men that the complainant believed to be the suspects.
According to OPP, on Wednesday at around 10:30 a.m., a white vehicle was seen driving suspiciously through a construction site on Highway 11 in the northern Ontario town of Kapuskasing.
The OPP has not confirmed if this was a sighting of the wanted men, saying only that the force is investigating a report of “two suspicious males.”
Aug. 3: Nelson River, Man.
RCMP say they found “several items” directly linked to the suspects along the banks of the Nelson River on Saturday. They did not disclose what the items were.
RCMP deployed their Underwater Recovery Team, but ended the search by Monday.
In an update posted to social media Tuesday, Manitoba RCMP said officers remain in the Gillam area.
Aug. 7: Manitoba
RCMP say the bodies of two men believed to be Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod were located.
The bodies were located approximately eight kilometres from where a burned out SUV driven by the suspects was found near Fox Lake Cree Nation reserve of Bird.
RCMP say the bodies were located one kilometre from where “several items” linked to the suspects were found along the banks of the Nelson River on Aug. 3.
According to the RCMP, an autopsy is being scheduled in Winnipeg to determine the identities of the deceased, and the cause of death.
— With files from Hannah Jackson and the Canadian Press
Comments