Two Canadian teenagers dead which were the subject of an intense manhunt this summer claimed the murder of three tourists in northern Canada in a series of videos, but did not disclose the motive behind their actions or showed remorse, Canadian police said on Friday.
Bryer corpse Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, was found on August 7 after a two-week-long search that began in northern British Columbia and ended in remote and hostile terrain northern Manitoba, three provinces and several thousand kilometers (miles).
The pair was first reported missing after leaving their hometown of Port Alberni, British Columbia, looking for work. Within a week they were named as suspects in the murder of Chynna Deese, 24, an American tourist and her partner Lucas Fowler, 23, of Australia.
Deese and Fowler found shot on the side of a highway near the Liard River Hot Spring, in northern British Columbia.
The third body, later identified as 64-year university professors Leonard Dyck Vancouver, found about 500 km (310 miles) from Deese and Fowler location. Schmegelsky and McLeod were charged with his death before they were found dead due to suicide.
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“The killings appear to be random and crime opportunity,” Kevin Hackett, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in British Columbia, said at a press conference.
He said that the current working theory is that Schmegelsky and McLeod came in Fowler van, shot and killed him and Deese, and continue up to the Yukon. Police believe that they then returned to British Columbia a day later due to vehicle problems, when they met Dyck and shoot, steal a car, money and personal belongings, “all of which facilitated escape even further,” said Hackett.
RCMP say Schmegelsky and McLeod made six videos confessed the crime on digital cameras, Dyck, although the video does not contain information about the motive or the specifics of the murder.
Videos will not be released to the public, because what Hackett said that the potential of the recording to “inspire others to commit acts of targeted violence, essentially creating a copycat.”
Schmegelsky and McLeod “show remorse for their actions and their intention to potentially kill others,” said Hackett.
The hunt for Schmegelsky and McLeod captivated audiences around the world, and prove to be problematic for small, remote communities where they are visible.
In a statement released by the RCMP, Deese family would like to thank the public for their “empathy and assistance” during the investigation.
“No one ever wants to be a victim or desire their loved ones,” the family statement said Deese. “Chynna our beloved sun is shining … We hope Chynna legacy continues to grow and its spark allow us to build each other.”
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