3 victims, 2 suspects dead: What we know about the northern B.C. cases

The deathsof three people in northern B.C. and the cross-country search for two suspects who were later found deadset Canadians on edge for two weeks.

The RCMPsaid Port Alberni, B.C., teensKam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelskywerewanted in the homicides of tourists Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese, and charged with second-degree murder in connection withthe death of a Vancouver man found nearDease Lake, B.C.

McLeod, 19, and Schmegelsky, who would have turned 19 on Aug. 4, were found dead on Aug. 7.RCMP said autopsies suggest the pair died by suicide.

Here is what we know so far about the deaths, the suspects, and the twists and turns of the investigation.

July 15: Monday Bodies found

The bodies of 23-year-old Australian Lucas Fowler and24-year-old AmericanChynna Deese are discovered about 20 kilometres south of Liard Hot Springs,at a remote spot off Highway 97, also known as the Alaska Highway.

Police saysthe couple wereshot and killed sometime on either July 14or July 15.

The pair had been travelling and working their way through B.C. on a three-week road trip to Alaska.Liard Hot Springs is a popular tourist destination in the far north of the province;about 160 kilometressoutheast of Watson Lake, Yukon.

July 19: Friday Burning truck, missing men

A burning truck fitted with a sleeping camper is found 50 kilometres south of Dease Lake, which is about 500 kilometres west of LiardHot Springs.

The vehicle belonged to longtime friends McLeod andSchmegelsky.

Police saysthe pair had not been in contact with their families for a few days. Both young men are from Port Alberni, on Vancouver Island.

Family members say the twowere travelling north to Whitehorse to visit andlook for work.

July 19: Friday Abody

Shortly after police arriveat the truck fire, a passing motorist tells officersthey had just seen what they believed to be a body at a nearby highway pullout.

RCMP found thebody of a man about two kilometres away. Police have not revealed his identity nor the cause of death.

He was between 5 feet 8inches and five feet 10 inches in height,with a heavy build, grey hair and a full grey beard, according to police.

Around this time, the public and numerous news stories begin to link the incidents, if only because it's unusual to havefive people declared missing or dead under suspicious circumstances in Northern B.C. in the space of a week.

July 21: Sunday Spotted in Saskatchewan

Surveillance footage captures McLeod and Schmegelsky inside a hardware store in Meadow Lake, Sask. The 16-second clip shows the pair walking down an aisle and leaving the store without any bags.

At this point, RCMP have not publicly named McLeod and Schmegelsky as homicide suspects.

Surveillance video of suspects in Meadow Lake, Sask.

5 years ago

Duration 0:16

RCMP have confirmed that Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky were seen in Meadow Lake, Sask. If spotted, the suspects should not be approached, and RCMP say 911 or local police should be contacted immediately.

July 22: Monday Torched SUV found in Manitoba

A burning, grey Toyota RAV4that police believe was driven by the fugitiveswas found on a dead-end road near Gillam, Man. Poice begin an expansive search of thecommunity and nearby Fox Lake Cree Nation.

The harsh, northern Manitoba terrain around the area is thick, swampy and teeming with insects. Experts say it is inhospitable.

July 23: Tuesday Police connect the cases

RCMP reveal the Port Alberni teens are considered the main suspects in the three deaths. A manhunt for the two begins.

Police saythe two were last spotted in northern Saskatchewan driving agrey 2011 Toyota RAV4.

"We are asking the public ifyou spot Kam orBryer, consider them dangerous. Do not approach, take no action and call 911 immediately," said RCMP Sgt. JanelleShoihet.

July 24: Wednesday Anothervictim ID'd, murder charges laid

RCMP confirm theburnt-out vehicle found in Manitoba on July 22 is the same one driven by McLeod and Schmegelsky.

Police dogs, a drone and heavily armed officers are seen combingthe harsh, swampy terrain in search of the men.

Later that same day,RCMPidentifythe body found near McLeod and Schmegelsky's burnt-out truck near Dease Lake, B.C., as that of Leonard Dyck, a 64-year-old lecturer at the University of British Columbia. Mounties also announceMcLeodand Schmegelskyarecharged with second-degree murder in connection Dyck's death, and issue a Canada-wide warrant for the suspects'arrests.

Dyck leaves behind a wife and two children. In a statement, family sayhisdeath has thrown them into "unthinkable grief" as they "struggle to understand what happened."

July 28: Sunday Fresh tip redirects search

After days of fruitless searching in the Gillam area, a credible tip redirects the search to York Landing, Man. 90 kilometres to the southwest.

A member of the Bear Clan neighbourhood patrol group spotted two people who matched McLeod'sand Schmegelsky's descriptions rummaging near the dump. More than a dozen heavily armed officers using ground patrol, K-9 units, drones and helicopters swarm the community of 500 and search through the night and into Monday. The community and York Factory Cree Nation are placed on lockdownand residents are asked to stay indoors.

July 29: Monday Search continues

RCMP hold a newsconferenceto say officers have not been able to contact the individuals who were subject of Sunday's sighting, and police"are not yet in a position to confirm that these are the wanted suspects."

Cpl. Julie Courchainesaid the goal of Monday's ongoingsearch is to apprehend the individuals and verify who they are.

July 31: Wednesday Search scaled back

After nine days of unsuccessful searching, RCMP announce they are scaling back search operations in northern Manitoba.

Aug. 2: Friday Personal items found

A damaged boat and several personal items linked to McLeod and Schmegelsky are found along Manitoba's Nelson River, which flows between Gillam and Fox Lake. RCMP would later say the personal items were the "one piece of evidence"they needed to finish the search.

Aug. 7: Wednesday Bodies discovered

RCMP findremains believed to be McLeod and Schmegelsky one kilometre away from the personal items located on Aug. 2, and eight kilometres from the burnt-out RAV4found in July. The bodies are placed in caskets, loaded into RCMP planes and flown to the Manitoba medical examiner's office for autopsies.

Aug. 13: Monday Apparent cause of death confirmed

B.C. RCMP confirm the bodies are McLeod and Schmegelsky. They say the autopsies suggest cause of the deaths was suicides by gunshot. The exact time of their deaths is not known, though RCMP say they were dead for several days before they were found. Officers also said they were alive for several days after the RAV4 was found, during the extensive search in Gillam, Man.

What now?

With the central suspects dead, answers about the B.C. killings may be difficult or impossible to find.RCMP investigators will continue their work long after the end of their search, as police can't considerthe case closed until a Crown attorney decides ifthere was sufficient evidence to lay charges.

B.C. RCMP spokesperson Dawn Robertssaid investigators are working tirelessly to try tofind answers.

"Our investigators are committed to determining as much of that as possible, and we're hopeful that looking at everything now ... respectingwe may never have a full understanding with regards to motive."