News

Major clues discovered in search for teens suspected of killing Aussie and partner

Aug 07, 2019

Bryer Schmegelsky (left) and Kam McLeod (right) are suspects in the deaths of Australian man Lucas Fowler and his partner Chynna Deese. Source: 7News

Canadian police have found several items “directly linked” to the teenagers suspected of killing Australian man Lucas Fowler and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, marking a new development in the search.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement on Tuesday the items were found along the Nelson River near Gillam – a town in Canada where triple murder suspects Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, are claimed to have dumped their stolen Toyota RAV4 on July 22.

The RCMP also confirmed the items were found during a search of the river on Friday afternoon.

“That same day, a damaged boat was also found along the Nelson River. Based on this information, RCMP Underwater Recovery Team (URT) were immediately deployed,” the RCMP said in a press release.

“On August 4, 2019, URT conducted a thorough underwater search approximately 29 metres around the location where the boat was found. The search did not uncover any additional items linked to the suspects.”

They said no further information about the items will be provided at this time, “to ensure the integrity of the investigation”.

On Aug 2, several items directly linked to the suspects were found on shoreline, 9km along the Nelson River. RCMP Underwater Recovery Team did not find additional items. Roadblock on PR 290 has been removed, but officers remain in the Gillam area. #rcmpmb https://t.co/eHFxdLg6UM

— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) August 6, 2019

It comes after police searched the river over the weekend after a wrecked rowboat was found washed up on the shore. There have been no confirmed sightings of the pair since July 22 and it’s reportedly feared they may have died in the vessel.

RCMP Inspector Leon Fiedler told Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail on Monday the boat had gone through some rapids and has been “significantly damaged”.

“We’re going to search in the area around where we found this boat just to make sure that there is nobody attached to it, whether that is our subjects or anyone else for that matter,” he added.

This is the damaged aluminum boat found by #rcmpmb officers on the shores of the Nelson River during a helicopter search on friday afternoon. pic.twitter.com/56Ez8alVTs

— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) August 4, 2019

Schmegelsky and McLeod were formally charged for the murder of a third man, Leonard Dyck, from Vancouver last Wednesday.

They are also suspected of shooting Fowler and his girlfriend Deese, who were discovered on a remote stretch of the Alaska Highway on July 15 around 20km from the popular Liard Hot Springs after being shot, although no charges have yet been brought in relation to their deaths.