Canada highway murders: Police confirm two sightings of teen suspects. Video / CBS This Morning
A reporter invited inside a police lock-up has revealed what they told her about the Canada highway murder spree and manhunt.
Details filtered through slowly as Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky carried out their murder spree across Canada in July.
Now, three months on, reporters who were given privileged access to the police investigation have revealed what police knew but could not say publicly.
Nine News US Correspondent Alexis Daish was covering the story on the ground as the manhunt moved from the Alaska Highway in British Columbia across several provinces.
Chynna Deese and Luca Fowler were on the trip of a lifetime when they were killed. Photo / AP
She reports that she was allowed inside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's BC headquarters as the investigation was unfolding but not allowed to tweet or publish anything until now.
Among the information police shared were crime scene photographs of the vehicle driven by Sydney man Lucas Fowler and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese before they were murdered.
The photographs show the back window of their blue van had been shot out. The couple were both shot multiple times by either McLeod or Schmegelsky.
Reporters were also shown the murder weapons — two SKS type firearms purchased legally by McLeod as the teens set off from Port Alberni to carry out their murders.
The police file also includes a disturbing close call reported by a witness who did not tell police about his encounter with the young killers until four days after it happened," Nine News reports.
Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky. Photo / Supplied
The incident took place after Fowler and Deese were murdered on the same stretch of Alaska Highway and involved a man who had pulled over for a nap.
"Within 5 minutes of being parked, a truck with camper drove past him and stopped about 50 yards ahead," the police report states.
"An unknown male got out of the passenger side of the truck holding a long gun. The male walked towards the tree line and started moving towards the witness in a tactical or hunting stance.
"The truck also started driving slowly towards the witness. The witness drove away from the armed male and drove past the truck. The driver covered his face with his hand and the witness was not able to see the driver's face."
University of British Columbia lecturer Leonard Dyck was killed and his car stolen by the teens.
McLeod and Schmegelsky would go on to murder University of British Columbia lecturer Leonard Dyck, steal his car and lead police on a manhunt across BC, Alberta, Saskachewan and Manitoba.
The pair recorded videos on Dyck's digital camera, including one 58-second video in which Schmegelsky admits they "are responsible for the three murders" and they "were going to march to Hudson Bay" where they "planned to hijack a boat and go to Europe or Africa".
In another video, Schmegelsky describes how they had "shaved in preparation for their own death" and "plan to go back to kill more people and expect to be dead in a week".
McLeod shot Schmegelsky before turning the gun on himself.
They had travelled more than 3000km before their bodies were found in remote bushland.
Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky. Photo / RCMP
Along the way they stopped to buy petrol, a cowboy hat, chocolate bars, a crow bar and electrical tape and to inquire in dry communities whether it was legal to buy and consume alcohol.
Schmegelsky's father Alan told reporters his son was "on a suicide mission".
"He wants his hurt to end," Mr Schmegelsky told Canadian Press.
