Suspects on the run: Famous Canadian RCMP manhunts for fugitives

Manitoba RCMP are scaling back operations in Gillam and other northern communities as the hunt for two wanted B.C. fugitives hits day nine.

But officers made it clear that the hunt for Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky is not over.

“To be clear, we are not ending this search,” Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy, Commanding Officer, Manitoba RCMP said.

“A number of tactical resources and specialized assets will remain positioned in the Gillam area and will continue the efforts to locate the murder suspects.”

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While these two suspects have managed to evade police for more than a week, lengthy manhunts are not unprecedented in Canada.

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The country is full of isolated pockets, vast forests, and rugged terrain. It’s landscape Mounties have been battling for more than 100 years as they try to capture dangerous fugitives.

“It’s a difficult job… when you are doing any kind of a search for a fugitive,” MacLatchy said.

Success can take time.

The Mad Trapper of Rat River

One of the most notorious RCMP chases goes back decades to 1932.

Albert Johnson, The Mad Trapper of the Rat River, was on the run from police for 48 days. It was a case that became so famous it inspired movies and books.

Officers spent seven weeks looking for him.

Johnson covered 240 kilometres spread over two territories and was eventually killed in a police shootout.

READ MORE: Saskatchewan woman recalls finding Mountie killer Curtis Dagenais in field

Allan Legere

In 1989, escaped murderer Allan Legere sparked a massive RCMP hunt in New Brunswick.

The convicted killer, who was serving a life sentence at the time, escaped from prison guards who had been escorting him to a medical appointment in Moncton, about 120 kilometres south of the Miramichi region.

READ MORE: MLA’s speak out against serial killer Allan Legere’s move to a new facility

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He spent nearly seven months sneaking into and out of communities along the Miramichi River brutally murdering four more people in three separate attacks before he was eventually arrested.

Regina Jail Break

In 2008, six inmates described as dangerous and possibly armed were at large after escaping from the Regina Correctional Centre.

The escapees were on the loose for varying amounts of time. One was recaptured within three hours of the break-out. The rest were at large for between five and 30 days.

The fifth man to be captured was arrested in Manitoba after hitchhiking to The Pas where his family lived. He evaded police in the area but was eventually arrested at a gas station in Winnipeg.