In a Facebook post on Saturday, a family member of one of the homicide victims disputed that Mr. Schmegelsky could understand the situation of the victims’ families.Laura Kane/The Canadian Press
RCMP in Manitoba say autopsies for two bodies police believe belong to the suspects in three B.C. homicides have been completed, while Mounties in B.C. are slated to make an announcement about the case on Monday.
The developments follow the release over the weekend of an interview by an Australian news program in which the father of one of the suspects describes the difficult childhood of his son.
In a video posted by 60 Minutes, Alan Schmegelsky said while he needs to see evidence before he will believe his son, Bryer Schmegelsky, was a murderer, he sympathizes with the victims’ families.
Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, are suspects in the mid-July shooting deaths of American Chynna Deese, 24, and her 23-year-old Australian boyfriend Lucas Fowler. The two men are also charged with second-degree murder in the death of Vancouver resident Leonard Dyck.
Police believe two bodies found in the northern Manitoba wilderness last week are those of the suspects.
“I’m so sorry for what’s happened. Whether it’s my son or whether it’s something else, we don’t know, I have just lost my son. I know exactly how you feel,” Alan Schmegelsky said. “I know they’re hurt and from our country to the families, I am so sorry.”
In a Facebook post on Saturday, a family member of one of the homicide victims disputed that Mr. Schmegelsky could understand the situation of the victims’ families.
“We are not cut from the same cloth, as you play the victim and don’t acknowledge your hand in your child’s upbringing and ultimate demise,” wrote Kennedy Deese, the sister of Chynna Deese.
“The proper public response would have been a genuine apology,” she said. “But we still forgive you and have mercy.”
In the clip, Mr. Schmegelsky describes the difficult childhood of his son, who went through his parents’ divorce at a young age and didn’t always have attention while growing up. “He was raised by YouTube and video games,” Mr. Schmegelsky said.
The segment also features a short video clip showing Bryer Schmegelsky with a replica gun that his father said was a Christmas present he bought his son to get him outdoors.
“I never gave him a real gun, okay? Let’s put it that way,” Mr. Schmegelsky said in the interview. “I never gave him a gun that would kill someone.”
Map: How the manhunt unfolded
1
CANADA
2
3
4
5
B.C.
ALTA.
SASK.
MAN.
0
300
U.S.
KM
July 15, near
Liard Hot Springs:
Two bodies found on
Alaska Highway
1
July 18, Jade City:
Suspects spotted
2
July 19, Dease Lake:
A body found two
kilometres from truck
belonging to suspects
3
July 21, Cold Lake:
Suspects spotted
4
July 21, Meadow Lake:
Suspects spotted
5
0
24
KM
Sundance
Stephens Lake
6
Gillam
MANITOBA
Split Lake
7
July 22, Split Lake:
Band constables pulled
thea pair over before they
were named suspects
6
July 28, York Landing:
Police search area in
response to unconfirmed
sighting of suspects
7
Boat launch where the dive team and others took off to search
July 22, Sundance:
Suspects’ burned-
out vehicle found
280
Sundance
August 2:
Approximate
rowboat
location
Nelson
River
August 8:
Approximate
body location
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN;
OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS; HIU;
GOOGLE EARTH
1
CANADA
2
3
MAN.
4
5
B.C.
ALTA.
SASK.
0
300
U.S.
KM
July 15, near Liard Hot Springs:
Two bodies found on Alaska Highway
1
July 18, Jade City:
Suspects spotted
2
July 19, Dease Lake:
A body found two kilometres from
truck belonging to suspects
3
July 21, Cold Lake:
Suspects spotted
4
July 21, Meadow Lake:
Suspects spotted
5
0
12
KM
Sundance
280
6
Stephens Lake
Gillam
MANITOBA
Split Lake
7
July 22, Split Lake:
Band constables pulled the pair over
before they were named suspects
6
July 28, York Landing:
Police search area in response to
unconfirmed sighting of suspects
7
Boat launch where the dive team and others took off to search
July 22, Sundance:
Suspects’ burned-
out vehicle found
280
Sundance
August 2:
Approximate
rowboat
location
Nelson
River
August 8:
Approximate
body location
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN;
OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS; HIU;
GOOGLE EARTH
0
300
July 18, Jade City:
Suspects spotted
July 15, near Liard Hot Springs:
Two bodies found on Alaska Highway
KM
July 21,
Cold Lake:
Suspects spotted
CANADA
ALBERTA
SASK.
BRITISH
COLUMBIA
MANITOBA
July 19, Dease Lake:
A body found two
kilometres from truck
belonging to suspects
July 21,
Meadow Lake:
Suspects spotted
U.S.
July 22, Split Lake:
Band constables pulled the pair over before they were named suspects
290
Sundance
280
Stephens Lake
Gillam
MANITOBA
Split
Lake
July 28, York Landing:
Police search area in response to
unconfirmed sighting of suspects
0
12
KM
Boat launch where the dive team and others took off to search
August 2:
Approximate
rowboat
location
Nelson
River
August 8:
Approximate
body location
July 22, Sundance:
Suspects’ burned-
out vehicle found
280
Sundance
Fox Lake
Cree Nation
Reserve
THE GLOBE AND MAIL, SOURCE: TILEZEN; OPENSTREETMAP CONTRIBUTORS; HIU; GOOGLE EARTH