Missing teens suspects in northern murders
Two teenagers who were thought to be missing are now considered suspects in the deaths of three people in northern British Columbia, setting off a nationwide manhunt for the pair who are considered armed and dangerous.
RCMP said Tuesday Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, are suspects in the shooting deaths of Lucas Fowler of Sydney, Australia, his girlfriend Chynna Deese of Charlotte, N.C., and an unidentified man whose body was found a few kilometres from the teens’ burned-out vehicle.
Later Tuesday, police said McLeod and Schmegelsky may be in Manitoba after a reported sighting in the northern town of Gillam.
They had also been seen earlier in northern Saskatchewan, driving a grey 2011 Toyota Rav 4, said Sgt. Janelle Shoihet.
She said anyone who spots the teens, both six-foot-4 inches tall and each weighing around 169 pounds, should not approach them but call 911.
Police initially thought the teenagers were missing but after making an appeal to the public on Monday, investigators received new information that led them to believe they are suspects in all three deaths, Shoihet said.
Shoihet said she could not release details about how investigators determined McLeod and Schmegelsky were suspects. But she said police are taking the “unprecedented” step of urging anyone with information on their whereabouts to come forward.
RCMP also released new photographs of the teens taken recently in northern Saskatchewan. Mounties did not say where they were seen.
McLeod and Schmegelsky – best friends since elementary school – had left Port Alberni for Whitehorse July 12 to find work, Schmegelsky’s grandmother, Carol Starkey, said.
If they had taken the ferry to Prince Rupert, the route to Whitehorse is up Highway 37 through Dease Lake.
However, police had reports of them being seen travelling south from the Super A general store in Dease Lake at about 3:15 p.m. last Thursday.
Schmegelsky’s father, Alan Schmegelsky, said he received a message from Bryer July 12 saying he and McLeod were headed to Alberta and might be uncontactable.
Schmegelsky described his son as “a smart kid,” into computer games, curious about his ancestry and just starting to become less introverted.
Neither is violent or into drugs, he said. He said both enjoy games simulating war that involve hunting and camouflage.
McLeod’s online presence indicates an interest in the Communist Party of Canada and the Young Communist League. His little-used Facebook page features a skull with geometric designs, one half in black, white and grey, the other in blazing colours. Another picture depicts a lion with a blazing rainbow of colour for a mane.
Shoihet said the teens might have changed their appearance and may be driving a different vehicle.
She said she could not disclose how the unidentified man found near their burned-out truck had died. Police have released a composite drawing of the heavy-set, middle-aged man with a beard and are still hoping he will be recognized.
RCMP has been in contact with both teens’ families to ask for help finding them, she said.
“I’m certain they’re being impacted by this news,” Shoihet said.
Claudia Bunce, owner of the Cassiar Mountain Jade Store in Jade City, B.C., said the pair stopped in last Thursday, the day before their burned-out truck and the body of the unidentified man was found about 115 kilometres away near Dease Lake.
The staff member who saw the boys was too shaken to speak to a reporter, but Bunce said the boys arrived in the truck and visited the store for free coffee. She said they were on their own and she doesn’t believe they had a conversation with the employee.
“I don’t think they stood out any more than any other teenage boys who were just on the road,” she said. “We’re a very busy store.”
She said the situation is very frightening for everyone who lives in the remote area.
“As you can imagine, the community is very upset about this,” Bunce said. “It’s very rural. We’re on a highway with no cell service. Most of us don’t have power. So it’s unnerving.”
RCMP were at the store on Tuesday gathering hours of surveillance footage and interviewing staff members. Bunce said she didn’t know exactly what time last Thursday the young men were in the store.