Canada highway murders: Police confirm two sightings of teen suspects. Video / CBS This Morning
Two teens wanted over the brutal Canadian highway slayings of three people, including Australian Lucas Fowler, continue to evade authorities after they were reportedly sighted rummaging for food in bushland.
The large scale search operation for Bryer Schmegelsky, 18 and Kam McLeod, 19, has shifted from Gillam to the isolated community of York Landing in Manitoba, some 80km from the previous search area and 1000km north of the provincial capital of Winnipeg.
"Our officers on the ground have not made contact with the individuals, so we are not yet in a position to confirm that these are the wanted suspects," RCMP Corporal Julie Courchaine told reporters on Monday.
"Our goal today remains to safely locate, apprehend and identify the individuals."
Her comment comes after members of the Bear Clan Patrol, a community-based policing group, said they spotted the men before they ran into the trees. The group's James Favel told reporters the pair were scavenging for food near a dump about 4.15pm local time on Sunday.
Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese were murdered while on a road trip in Canada. Photo / News.com.au
"Last night, at approximately 5:00pm, the RCMP received a tip that two males matching the description of the wanted suspects were seen in York Landing, Manitoba," The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said in a statement.
"Based on the information received, the RCMP immediately deployed multiple resources to the community.
"Officers searched the York Landing area throughout the night and continue their efforts today. The Royal Canadian Air Force is also assisting today with the search."
After a thorough & exhaustive search, #rcmpmb has not been able to substantiate the tip in York Landing. RCMP resources will continue to be in the York Landing & Gillam areas.
We thank the community for their patience & understanding & ask them to continue to be vigilant.
The men reportedly appeared to be wearing the same clothing — Schemegelsky in a camouflage jacket and McLeod in a blue T-shirt — that they were pictured in six days ago in CCTV footage from a hardware store in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan, according to News 1130.
Heavily armoured police have descended on the small town of about 450 people with tracker dogs, helicopters and drones as they search for the pair.
Service Alert
As the operation to apprehend the suspects in the BC murders expands from Gillam to York Landing area, we...
The RCMP confirmed as night fell in Manitoba that the suspects had not yet been caught and that the search was continuing. The town is serviced by ferries which leave every few hours on a two-hour trip to Split Lake.
It is critical that residents of York Landing remain vigilant & stay indoors as much as possible with their doors locked, & to report anything suspicious by calling their local police immediately.
Police have asked people not to post photos of their officers on social media, for fear of jeopardising their operations.
Leroy Constant, Chief of the York Factory First Nation, said authorities were conducting "ground searches with dogs and heavily armoured officers" but poor weather conditions were hampering the air search.
"Currently heavy winds are limiting helicopters and drones," he wrote on Facebook.
Australian Lucas Fowler, 23, and American Chynna Deese, 24, were found killed on a remote highway. Photo / Supplied
"We are urging everyone to remain indoors with windows and doors locked. Patrols of the community will be done on a 24 hour basis."
Earlier, the chief warned York Landing locals there had been a possible sighting of the teens at a community landfill.
"And all vehicles should be parked. Please share the message with those who don't have social media," he said.
"We received word that there was a possible sighting around our community landfill moments ago."
Schmegelsky and McLeod are wanted over the murders of Mr Fowler, 23, his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, 24, and university professor Leonard Dyck, 64, on highways in British Columbia, in Canada's west.
Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, are thought to be armed and dangerous. Photo / AP
Unconfirmed reports began circulating on social media that the pair had been captured in a hail of gunfire, along with a video purportedly showing one of them being taken into custody.
But Royal Canadian Mounted Police Manitoba (RCMP) shut down those reports, stating no shots were fired and the fugitives remained at large.
The manhunt has sent locals into a panic and thrown transport lines servicing the remote region into chaos, with train service Arctic Gateway issuing a warning about delays as the search continues to expand.
"All efforts are being made in York Landing to apprehend two individuals matching the description of the suspects," RCMP Manitoba tweeted.
"The safety of our community members is our priority. We remind residents to stay inside & check all doors & windows to ensure they are closed and locked."
The lifelong friends are accused of going on a murderous rampage which claimed the lives of Mr Fowler, 23, from Sydney, and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese, 24, who were gunned down on a lonely road in British Columbia this month. Canadian man Leonard Dyck, 64, was also murdered a few hundred kilometres away on the notorious stretch.
