What we know about Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, targets of national manhunt

UPDATE: Aug. 13, 2019 RCMPhave confirmedtwo bodies found in northern Manitoba are Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, are the subjects of a national manhunt after RCMP named them as suspects in the double homicide of Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese and charged with second-degree murder in the death of a Vancouver man.

Fowler, 23, an Australian, and Deese, 24, an American, were discovered shot to death along the side of the Alaska Highwaysouth of Liard Hot Springs, B.C., on July 15.

Four days later, McLeod and Schmegelsky's burnt-out truck was found near the community of Dease Lake, B.C., more than 470 kilometres away from the first crime scene.

The body of Leonard Dyck, a sessional instructor at the University of British Columbia, was found two kilometres south of thattruck. McLeod and Schmegelsky were charged with second-degree murder on July 24.

RCMP are nowsearching the area around York Landing, Man., for the pair, after a credible tip redirected officers from the community of Gillam, 90 kilometres away.

Here's what we know about McLeod and Schmegelsky.

They are from Port Alberni on Vancouver Island and have been friends since elementary school. Both workedat a local Walmart.

CBC News has confirmed that McLeodrecently attended Alberni District Secondary School. It's unclear ifSchmegelsky also went there.

Families speak out

In a written statement, Keith McLeod called his son Kam"a kind, considerate, caring young man [who] always has been concerned about other people's feelings."

He said the family is "trapped" in their home due to media attention on the case.

"We try to wrap our heads around what is happening and hope that Kam will come home to us safely so we can all get to the bottom of this story."

In an interview with The Canadian Press,Schmegelsky's father, Alan Schmegelskysaid his sonhad a troubled upbringing. He struggled through his parents' acrimonious split in 2005 and his main influences became video games and YouTube.

Hesaid his son is"in very serious pain."

"A normal child doesn't travel across the country killing people."

Schmegelsky said he expects his son will die in a confrontation with police.

"He's on a suicide mission. He wants his pain to end," he said, breaking down into tears.

RCMP releases new footage

RCMP have released photos of thetwo fugitives takenin northern Saskatchewan on July 21. McLeod can be seenwearing a T-shirt with a cartoon image and the caption "Awild Cathulhu appears."

Video shows McLeod and Schmegelsky walking through a store in Meadow Lake, Sask., on July 21:

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.

The caption references Cthulhu, a fictional and menacing octopus-like character created by horror writer H.P. Lovecraft in the1920s. It's also a character in a number of video games including Terraria, Call of Duty: Black Ops 3 and World of Warcraft.

Schmegelsky can be seenwearing a camouflage-patterned jacket.

Branden McHale, a friend of McLeod's, described him as a big gaming nerd and a happy person.

"He didn't have a lot of friends, but he wasreally funny," said McHale.

He said McLeodwas mostly intofantasy video games like League of Legends.

McHale described Schmegelskyas somewhat shy.

"Bryer was really quiet with people. He was really loud-spoken in his friend group but pretty quiet in general."

Former friends and neighbours speak about Schmegelsky:

Former friends and neighbours describe suspect Bryer Schmegelsky

5 years ago

Duration 1:09

Bryer Schmegelsky, along with Kam MacLeod, is a suspect in 3 murders in Northern B.C., and are the subjects of a Canada-wide manhunt.

A person who metSchmegelsky on thegaming site Steam, and who spoke to CBCNews on the condition of anonymity,said the 18-year-old was fascinated by Nazi history and last year sent himphotos of his Nazi regalia.

On Monday, when the pair were still considered missing,Schmegelsky'sfathertold Victoria'sCHEK News the teens considered themselves survivalists.

Al Schmegelsky said they "liked to go into the woods and play war" and were trained in camouflage.

"If there's any hope that Bryer and Kam are alive, it's because they would have gone into the woods and they know how to hide, because they've been doing this for the last two and a half years," he said.

"They're non-violent, they're good people. Never got in trouble or anything."

On Tuesday, after the pair was identified as suspects, hetold CHEK reporter April Lawrence that he didn't know if his son committed the killings, but that he saw no red flags.

According to Lawrence, he also described himself as "likely now the most hated dad in the country."