In the dense woods of northern Manitoba, police officers hunting for two suspected murderers have a unique challenge on their hands.
They’ll need to “think big” in the remote environment if they want to catch them, said Jack Schonely, a former LAPD officer and author of Apprehending Fleeing Suspects: Suspect Tactics and Perimeter Containment.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police descended on the small town of Gillam, Man., this week in search of two young men accused in three deaths in B.C.
Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, have been on the move for days.
The manhunt has stretched from Meadow Lake, Sask., — where the long-time friends were spotted on Sunday — to Gillam, more than 1,000 kilometres away.
RCMP say that’s where the pair was last seen, on July 22.
WATCH: Search continues in Gillam, Man., for BC murder suspects
Canada’s top police are trained for situations in this marshy part of the country, Schonely said, but it complicates things.
He believes officers have set up a perimeter in hopes of containing them.
“The general rule is — the more serious the crime, the larger you make it,” he told Global News.
“It’s to the benefit of the officers that they have it big because you don’t know where they are and they’re desperate. When suspects are desperate, they’re going to do things and move in ways that a burglar isn’t. They’re going to act differently.”
WATCH: Northern B.C. murders: A timeline of what happened and where
There isn’t a standard radius or strategy for perimeter containment, Schonely said. In urban settings, officers position themselves in a “connect the dots” pattern where they can see each other, but the environment in Gillam would make that dangerous and “nearly impossible.”
“They don’t know where exactly these two are. They could be within feet of them and not know it. It happens all the time, where police officers find themselves on a containment and at the end of the day, the suspects were within feet of them and they just couldn’t see it,” he said.
The scope of the perimeter won’t shrink until “significant” evidence is found, Schonely said.
“If they see movement. If an infrared from the air sees a heat source that looks really good and isn’t an animal… Footprints, or clothing or trash,” he said.
“Without that, it would probably be unwise to change the size.”
READ MORE: Northern B.C. murders: What’s involved in a police manhunt?
At this point, it’s not clear where exactly police are focusing their search.
A check-stop has been set up at an intersection near Gillam and police activity has been reported in an area about 70 kilometres northwest of the town.
Officers continue to search Gillam and southwest in Fox Lake Cree Nation, where one of two torched vehicles was found.
RCMP has brought in additional resources to both areas. Armoured vehicles have been spotted around Gillam and on roadways. There have also been reports of drone sightings.
WATCH: Highlights of Thursday’s RCMP press conference on the manhunt
It’s for investigative reasons that officers aren’t saying a lot, Schonely said.
Although armoured vehicles may not be helpful in the swamp, they’re exemplary of risks associated with the suspects and the investigation, he added.
Wait, There’s More: Unpacking the B.C. murders
Containment and officer protection, however, is just a small part of a big picture.
“It’s almost impossible to search a thick, wooded area effectively and safely without a dog,” he said.
“A wooded area is one of the most dangerous searches there is. I’d rather go into an urban backyard with abandoned cars and debris with a dog than what these officers are going to have to do.”
There is only one road leading in and out of Gillam, which is home to about 1,300 people. A set of train tracks runs along the southern portion of the town, heading to and from Churchill, Man., the last stop on the route.
Some online have speculated that perhaps the young men hopped a passing train and made it out of Gillam.
Schonely said, in theory, it’s possible.
“Police are going to need to consider that and take that seriously,” he said.
“They’re going to have to search trains coming out of that area and warn the public in nearby communities where that train eventually gets to.”
A public notice warning Churchill residents that Schmegelsky and McLeod could be in Manitoba has been issued. Churchill Mayor Mike Spence asked residents to remain vigilant and said the town will stay in touch with RCMP as the ever-changing investigation continues.
Churchill resident Rose Neepin told Global News she saw RCMP officers enter and search both passenger and freight trains that entered Churchill on Thursday.
Currently, the two young men are considered suspects in the deaths of two tourists — Lucas Fowler of Australia, and Chynna Deese from the U.S.
They were officially charged with second-degree murder on Wednesday, in connection with the death of a Vancouver man, Leonard Dyck.
The friends were initially thought to be missing, but police threw out that theory this week when they named them suspects in all three deaths.
Schonely, who has more than 36 years in law enforcement, said investigations like this are meticulous and require patience from the public and officers alike.
“You have to slow down and take a breath and say, ‘How are we going to attack this problem? Let’s use everything we’ve got so that we don’t get anybody injured,’” he said.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that the best people are there and they know what they’re doing in that environment.”
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