Canada - Lucas Fowler, Chynna Deese, and Leonard Dyck, all murdered, Alaska Hwy, BC, Jul 2019 #12

[Danaya]

I'm going with suicide - they reached the "end of the road - both physically and geographically" and I think they knew that and there was never going to be a 'way out' of their destruction.

That's the only thing I can think of to explain why they were found together, unless one succumbed to the elements and the other took his life after. Could also be a murder/suicide. I'm anticipating the autopsy results, wonder how long it'll take to complete.

 

[Seattle1]

AUG 7, 2019

RCMP say they have found two bodies thought to be those of fugitives Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod, who are wanted in the deaths of three people in B.C. and the subjects of a massive manhunt that spanned much of Western Canada.

In a news conference Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy, the commanding officer for the Manitoba RCMP, said police had found the bodies eight kilometres from a burned vehicle in northern Manitoba linked to the pair.

“We are confident these are the two suspects,” Assistant Commissioner MacLatchy said in Winnipeg, referring to Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, both of the Vancouver Island community of Port Alberni.

[...]

However, she added autopsies were pending and she could not comment on their cause of death.

She said the bodies were found in “dense terrain" by RCMP members doing a foot search.


“There’s a certain amount of relief we were able to locate these people,” she said, adding she hoped the development would offer “an opportunity to exhale” for residents of the region that has seen a search by police backed by military aircraft.

The assistant commissioner noted that Friday’s discovery of items linked to the suspects that RCMP have yet to describe allowed police searchers to focus in on “high-probability areas” leading to the discovery Wednesday morning of two male bodies in the dense brush, within one kilometre from where the items were found.

She said this was about eight kilometres from where their burnt vehicle was found.

Two bodies thought to be B.C. fugitives found in Northern Manitoba: RCMP

 

[Kaley Smith]

Removed by me.

 

[SweetBriar]

First off I’m glad the manhunt is over for the families of the victims.

For those that criticized the RCMP - if you haven’t participated in an actual search in densely wooded conditions- you can’t understand how difficult it can be. I’m impressed they did find them, even though they found bodies, not living fugitives.

I could imagine that they may have been in the boat, went overboard and died due to hypothermia. They would have been found together, given certain conditions. Don’t forget, they may not have had much for food and could’ve been in a weakened state. I don’t know about murder/suicide only for the reason that we haven’t heard of any other victims when they certainly could have murdered again.

Part of me would like to think they didn’t have a peaceful ending, regardless of method.

Finally, I am so appreciative of this forum. What an incredible way for people from all walks of life, from around the world to get together to try to ‘solve’ or at least discuss these horrible events.

 

[The Night Watchman]

Suicide would be the most logical explanation the bodies were found together.

 

[Danaya]

It also drives me mental, if you kill yourself why didn't you just do that in first place instead of taking 3 innocent lives.

Reminds me of the monsters who kill their families or their children before turning the gun on themselves. I wish they would leave the innocent people out of their plans.

 

[NJSleuth91]

That's the only thing I can think of to explain why they were found together, unless one succumbed to the elements and the other took his life after. Could also be a murder/suicide. I'm anticipating the autopsy results, wonder how long it'll take to complete.

It could be that one committed suicide after the other died from the elements. As I've been saying I don't think either of them would be psychologically able to continue without the other.

 

[SephF]

Hats off to the RCMP, they did a good job

 

[MassGuy]

It could be that one committed suicide after the other died from the elements. As I've been saying I don't think either of them would be psychologically able to continue without the other.

Yeah, these two were sticking by each other until the bitter end.

I would have been shocked if they ever separated, or one continued on after losing his partner.

 

[SnooperDuper]

I think they went out on the river under the cover of darkness, wiped out on the rapids, crawled out of the river in the dark and cold (<10 C, 50 F), wet and separated from all their gear. They made it 1 km away and slowly succumbed to hypothermia overnight.

 

[merrymary]

It could be that one committed suicide after the other died from the elements. As I've been saying I don't think either of them would be psychologically able to continue without the other.

I originally was going with the elements getting to both of them...but this theory makes more sense....unless, they both died in their sleep. Cold exposure tends to slowly make you drowsy.

 

[Deleted member 248860]

What’s interesting is that if they’d given themselves up they would have gotten life and been famous/notorious. If they died of hypothermia, they must have realised it was inevitable long before it happened. If murder/suicide, it strikes me as a somewhat surprising decision, and raises the question of whether there was a note or notes.

Caveat: If they died of hypothermia in the first 24 hours or so, it’s possible that it snuck up on them and they did not realise how much trouble they were in from the elements.

 

[otto]

I think they went out on the river under the cover of darkness, wiped out on the rapids, crawled out of the river in the dark and cold (<10 C, 50 F), wet and separated from all their gear. They made it 1 km away and slowly succumbed to hypothermia overnight.

They were 1km from their personal items, upstream of the rapids and a few km upstream from the boat.

 

[Jen-Knee]

If it was suicide or murder/suicide, I hope they at least used the same gun as used in the BC murder, just so the victims families get some closure. My guess the items on the shore were their belongings that they had taken with them. I'm curious about what police found in their homes during the searches.

My heart breaks for these two's families. I can't imagine the hell they have been going through and now they have to bury their sons. I also worry about Kam's sister (I believe she is younger but not sure). School starts in a few weeks and kids can be so cruel sometimes. I really hope the community pulls together and supports them.

 

[Jen-Knee]

Sarah MacDonald on Twitter

BCRCMP will be up in two hours.

 

[Satchie]

Exactly. If it were a bear, at least one of them would have been dragged away and cached where Bear could find it again.

Suicide seems most likely. Dying of exposure at the same time would be...rare, although if it were one long, cold wet night, sure, it could happen.

Are autopsy reports released by LE in Canada? Can they be acquired through a public documents request if not? Do reporters routinely get access to autopsies?

Not at all. Only if it was homicide is the cause of death released, IMO. For example, if there were evidence one had killed the other and then himself.

Suicide is almost never released to the public, for obvious reasons. Ben Kilmer was an exception, because so many people believed it was foul play, coroner's office decided to release details to convince the media it was suicide.

However, suicide vs accident aren't a matter of public interest.

However, the family will know and they may decide to share it publicly, or it will just be rumoured around.

IMO it was probably suicide. If they wanted to live, they'd have hidden closer to the river so they could get water. People die of thirst long before they starve. If hypothermia, they wouldn't be together. If animal attack, the trail would be very obvious.

Just my opinion.

 

[SnooperDuper]

I think they got separated from all of their gear including the gun after they wiped out on the river (likely in the cold dark night). They had no easy way of killing themselves, but the sub 10 C (50 F) weather did it for them in hours.

 

[SiciC]

I'm watching an interview on CBC right now with the owner of the Jade City Jade store in BC, where the suspects went in and got free coffee a couple days after Lucas and Chynna were killed. The owner says they purchased something, I think she said "a little jade bear". I'm trying to look this up but I'm not finding it. I even rewinded to listen to it again and I'm sure shes's saying "jade bear". If that's true, they were purchasing little souvenirs, it wouldn't seem like they were planning a big killing spree or suicide mission. Hmm. None of this makes sense.

Just speculating. I might've completely misheard what she was saying. She definitely said they purchased something little though. lol

 

[FactFinder3000]

I think they went out on the river under the cover of darkness, wiped out on the rapids, crawled out of the river in the dark and cold (<10 C, 50 F), wet and separated from all their gear. They made it 1 km away and slowly succumbed to hypothermia overnight.

That does seem to be the obvious scenario.

They wiped out in the boat, made it to shore, and then walked upriver to the location where the items were found. They then removed wet clothing and walked 1 km into the woods.

Unless, of course, the boat has nothing to do with this.

 

[Carpetchick]

First off I’m glad the manhunt is over for the families of the victims.

For those that criticized the RCMP - if you haven’t participated in an actual search in densely wooded conditions- you can’t understand how difficult it can be. I’m impressed they did find them, even though they found bodies, not living fugitives.

I could imagine that they may have been in the boat, went overboard and died due to hypothermia. They would have been found together, given certain conditions. Don’t forget, they may not have had much for food and could’ve been in a weakened state. I don’t know about murder/suicide only for the reason that we haven’t heard of any other victims when they certainly could have murdered again.

Part of me would like to think they didn’t have a peaceful ending, regardless of method.

Finally, I am so appreciative of this forum. What an incredible way for people from all walks of life, from around the world to get together to try to ‘solve’ or at least discuss these horrible events.

Totally agree that the RCMP were amazing based on the conditions. Amazing they found the bodies. Let’s not guess at how they died.

In the end the whole thing is so so sad.