MONTREAL: Canadian police on Tuesday named two suspects wanted in connection with three murders, including the killings of an American woman and Australian man whose bodies were found in rural British Columbia.
Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, had been reported missing in British Columbia but are now believed to be on the run.
They were last seen in the north of Saskatchewan province, driving a gray Toyota RAV-4, a spokeswoman for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Sergeant Janelle Shoihet, told a press conference.
Both suspects are considered to be dangerous, police said in a warning to the public.
“Take no actions — do not approach — and call 911 immediately,” the RCMP said on Twitter, where photos of the suspects were released.
The bodies of 23-year-old Australian Lucas Fowler and his 24-year-old American girlfriend Chynna Deese were found on July 15 in the remote north of British Columbia. Police confirmed they were shot dead.
Police described the third victim as a man in his 50s or 60s, believed to have been killed late last week, but he has not yet been identified.
The man’s body was found near the ruins of a torched pick-up truck believed to have been used by the teen suspects. The truck was found nearly 300 miles from the bodies of Deese and Fowler.
Police had earlier said it was “unusual” to have two major investigations in that part of British Columbia
and recognized the idea that the cases might be linked, but on Tuesday, they made the link clear.
“We believe that they’re likely continuing to travel. We don’t have a possible destination,” Shoihet said, adding that the suspects “may have changed their appearance and may also be driving a different vehicle.”
The RCMP said the investigation was “complex and evolving very quickly,” and encouraged members of the public to call in with any tips as to the suspect’s whereabouts.
Fowler had been living in British Columbia, local media reported, but the pair had been traveling extensively. Deese’s family told US media that the couple had embarked on a road trip through Canada.
Fowler’s father, a senior police inspector in New South Wales, has traveled to Canada. – AFP
