(Sub)Culture
Two Canadian Teens Are Wanted for the Murder of Three People
Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, are wanted for the murder of a young couple, as well as a man in his fifties or sixties
Two Canadian teenagers from the town of Port Alberni, British Columbia are considered suspects in the deaths of three people in rural British Columbia, including a couple in their early 20s and a middle-aged man found dead in rural Saskawetchan. The teenagers have not been seen or heard from by their families in several days.
Australian Lucas Fowler, 24, and his American girlfriend, Chyna Deese, 23, were found dead a few miles south of Liard Hot Springs, a town in British Columbia, on July 15th, the British Royal Canadian Mounted Police has said.
Fowler and Deese were last seen alive on surveillance footage from a gas station in Fort Nelson on July 13th. The video shows them arriving at the gas station at 7:30 pm and leaving around 7:47 pm. According to Deese’s mother, Fowler had been living in the area and Deese was visiting him; the couple was on a two-week road trip traveling through Canada up to Alaska.
According to Curtis Broughton and his wife Sandra, Fowler and Deese’s van broke down shortly before they died, and they approached the Broughtons to help repair the vehicle. “They were on their road trip,” Sandra Broughton told CBS News. “They just seemed like a young couple in love.”
Fowler and Deese were found shot to death along the Alaska Highway two days later. Authorities believe they had been dead for about a day before they were found.
Another man who is as yet unidentified was also found dead more than 300 miles away in his vehicle. Although police have not released any details regarding the manner of death or identity of the victim, they have described him as a Caucasian male between 50 and 60 years old, with grey hair and a bushy beard. They have also released a sketch to help identify him.
Police have identified two suspects wanted for questioning in the case: Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19. The suspects’ social media accounts indicate that the two were classmates at Alberni District Secondary School in Port Alberni, British Columbia, and worked at Walmart together. Earlier this month, they told their parents they were planning to travel together to Whitehorse in the Yukon to find work, and their families say they have not heard from them since.
Police are also looking for an unknown man who was the last person seen speaking with Fowler and Deese. During a press conference on Monday, they released a composite sketch based on witness testimony.
We are asking the public that if you spot Kam McLeod or Bryer Schmegelsky to consider them as dangerous – take no actions – do not approach – and call 911 immediately. pic.twitter.com/RdhBNVr5im
— BCRCMP (@BCRCMP) July 23, 2019
Late last week, police found Schmegelsky’s and McLeod’s burning pickup truck near Dease Lake in British Columbia, about 300 miles away from where Fowler’s and Deese’s bodies were found. While authorities initially classified them as missing persons, the discovery of the third man’s body relatively close to their burning vehicle, combined with reported sightings of the two men driving a grey 2011 Toyota RAV4 in northern Saskatchewan, led police to reclassify them as suspects, a representative for the BRCMP said.
While authorities won’t say what evidence ties the two men to the three deaths, they are believed to be dangerous, said RCMP Sgt. Janelle Shoihet in a statement to media. Shoihet is urging anyone who sees the men to not approach them and call the authorities immediately.