[responsivevoice_button voice="UK English Female" buttontext="Listen to Post"]
The two died in what appears to be suicides by gunfire
THE RCMP announced on Monday that the Manitoba Medical Examiner had completed the autopsies and confirmed that the two deceased men located in Manitoba on August 7 were Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky. Their next of kin have been notified and have been offered support.
The two had been charged in the murder of Leonard Dyck, 64, of Vancouver and were suspects in the homicides of Chynna Noelle Deese, 24, of the United States, Lucas Robertson Fowler, 23, of Australia.
The RCMP said they could also confirm that the two died in what appears to be suicides by gunfire. While both individuals were deceased for a number of days before they were found, the exact time and date of their deaths are not known. However, there are strong indications that they had been alive for a few days since last seen in July and during the extensive search efforts in the Gillam area.
Police said they could 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. The Manitoba RCMP have completed their search of the area were the two male bodies were discovered, approximately eight kilometres from where Dyck’s burnt RAV4 was located on July 22.
Investigators are now assessing all items located in Manitoba, along with the previous findings related to the three northern BC homicide investigations, in order to gain more clarity into what happened to Dyck, Fowler and Deese. The assessment will review all the investigative findings to date, whether it is statements, evidentiary time lines, and physical or digital evidence. The BC RCMP have also have engaged their Behavioural Analysis Unit (BAU).
The BC RCMP said that they commit that once they have completed that review within the next few weeks, they will be providing the families with an update with respect to the totality of the investigations and then releasing the information publicly.