CANADA - Lucas Fowler, Australian & g/f Chynna Deese, American, murdered, Alaska Hwy, BC, Jul 2019

[otto]

Do you have any suggestions on how to mark up a photograph/screenshot? Glad to comply with your request but need some help.

Snagit.

 

[otto]

Well that solves the mystery of the van then. He did get it from the ranch. Most likely to use on this trip and then he could resell it before retuning to Australia.

Not really. If the ranch owners moved from Alberta to BC in 2013, then all vehicles were registered in BC from that time on.

"In 2013 we started a new chapter and moved further West to a new ranch close to Hudson's Hope, British Columbia."​

THE WEDERS | venator-ranch-ltd

 

[dotr]

https://7news.com.au/news/crime/third-body-found-on-canadian-highway-c-357343
''A third body has been found on a Canadian highway but while authorities are "looking at all of the leads", they are not linking the death to the mysterious shooting murders of Australian tourist Lucas Fowler and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese.
The body of a man was found on Friday near a burning pickup truck south of the Stikine River Bridge on Highway 37 in northern British Columbia.''

Third body found near where Australian man and girlfriend were killed
rbbm.
"Nine News has been told that Canadian authorities are ramping up their investigation into the killer responsible for the double murder of Australian Lucas Fowler and his American partner Chynna Deese, and that about 30 detectives are now involved in the case.
The Alaska Highway – where the couple’s bodies were found - is very remote but officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have been scouring the few businesses along the stretch for CCTV footage which might have captured their movements before their deaths.
The victims were travelling in an old blue Chevrolet van which Lucas fixed up especially for their road trip adventure through Canada, with plans to camp and visit the national parks.
They were only in their first day or so of the trip when things have taken a chilling turn."

 

[Stratocaster]

I'm still not clear on who found the couple, did LE drive up upon the van or did someone else discover, than report?

 

[otto]

What happened to tourist couple found dead on Alaska Highway?

Says in this article that the van was purchased from the ranch, a little digging and the ranchers moved from Alberta to BC, so that is where the Alberta plates come into play.
oddly enough on LF Couchsurfing profile it says he's a mechanic.

Fowler owned the van, he bought it from the BC Venator cattle ranch (est. 2013). I think there was some monkey business with registering the vehicle in Alberta.

"He identified the van in the photo as belonging to Fowler, who he says bought it from a cattle ranch he was working on."​

What happened to tourist couple found dead on Alaska Highway?

 

[otto]

I'm still not clear on who found the couple, did LE drive up upon the van or did someone else discover, than report?

RCMP press release says they received a call at 7:19AM and went directly to the scene. It must have been someone driving by who realized that something was wrong.

 

[otto]

https://7news.com.au/news/crime/third-body-found-on-canadian-highway-c-357343
''A third body has been found on a Canadian highway but while authorities are "looking at all of the leads", they are not linking the death to the mysterious shooting murders of Australian tourist Lucas Fowler and his American girlfriend Chynna Deese.
The body of a man was found on Friday near a burning pickup truck south of the Stikine River Bridge on Highway 37 in northern British Columbia.''

Third body found near where Australian man and girlfriend were killed
rbbm.
"Nine News has been told that Canadian authorities are ramping up their investigation into the killer responsible for the double murder of Australian Lucas Fowler and his American partner Chynna Deese, and that about 30 detectives are now involved in the case.
The Alaska Highway – where the couple’s bodies were found - is very remote but officers from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have been scouring the few businesses along the stretch for CCTV footage which might have captured their movements before their deaths.
The victims were travelling in an old blue Chevrolet van which Lucas fixed up especially for their road trip adventure through Canada, with plans to camp and visit the national parks.
They were only in their first day or so of the trip when things have taken a chilling turn."

If they were on the first couple days into their trip, were they heading to the ranch for the branding? That would explain why they were heading South, but not where they came from. Could she have flown into Vancouver and they took the scenic route to the ranch?

"Lucas had been working on a ranch in Canada, and the pair had planned on staying there before visiting national parks around the country, the Charlotte Observer reported."​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...re-found-dead-highway/?utm_term=.f8eb0c5f4a5f

 

[Betty P]

If they were on the first couple days into their trip, were they heading to the ranch for the branding? That would explain why they were heading South, but not where they came from. Could she have flown into Vancouver and they took the scenic route to the ranch?

"Lucas had been working on a ranch in Canada, and the pair had planned on staying there before visiting national parks around the country, the Charlotte Observer reported."​

https://www.washingtonpost.com/worl...re-found-dead-highway/?utm_term=.f8eb0c5f4a5f

View attachment 194239

IIRC, in Gray Hughes video, linked several pages back, the witness he interviewed said the blue van was facing north, as if they were heading north. FWIW

 

[zecats]

I thought they were heading to the ranch for a branding, and then taking 3 weeks to drive through National Parks in Northern Canada. That doesn't really make much sense though. They were North of the ranch when murdered, so why would they head South to the ranch and then retrace their steps to travel to Northern Canada.

I think the van was heading South in the photos. I'm wondering where they were coming from. RCMP said they were trying to trace their movements in the last few days - all a bit of a mystery right now.

How did they have a vehicle registered and insured in a province where neither had an address? Either it was borrowed, or something slightly irregular happened - some loophole.

View attachment 194237

The branding was done. From Feb til now. They were taking a vacation together because work was done.

 

[Satchie]

Just for info, the RCMP for this area are based in Fort Nelson, 4 hours drive south!

IMO they would have used a helicopter to bring in the first teams of officers to secure the site and do initial investigations. But they'd probably have to wait for the complete forensics equipment/lab to come all the way from Prince George, 13 hours drive away. They might not have been able to touch anything for many hours.

That would have slowed down identification, probably by a whole day. And then once they got leads on who the victims might be, I think they need to prove it scientifically, or through family identification, before they declare it officially. Since the family were far away, they may have had to get dna samples, or dental records if they still do that anymore..

 

[otto]

IIRC, in Gray Hughes video, linked several pages back, the witness he interviewed said the blue van was facing north, as if they were heading north. FWIW

Thanks! So heading North, away from the ranch, towards Liard Hot Springs.

Finally it makes sense to me. They were on the first day or two of their travels, they were finished at the ranch.

 

[PingTheRouter]

RCMP press release says they received a call at 7:19AM and went directly to the scene. It must have been someone driving by who realized that something was wrong.

this is a lot longer than we thought a few pages back, this is overnight from breaking down the day before which means they very well could have been asleep in the van at night when the attack happened or they were already dead

still so much information gap its hard to fill in any gaps yet

 

[otto]

this is a lot longer than we thought a few pages back, this is overnight from breaking down the day before which means they very well could have been asleep in the van at night when the attack happened or they were already dead

still so much information gap its hard to fill in any gaps yet

It certainly suggests that there was no reason for concern at 4PM even though the wife with relatives called RCMP about the van on Sunday afternoon.

It's not a safe place to camp overnight and hopefully they knew that, so it seems likely that someone got to them before they could restart the van.

 

[Satchie]

Or a person who lived there, as in Luke Neville. Thread here on WS, van found burned out, but he was never found.

Interesting info - that Lucas also worked on a ranch in Canada (AB or BC?) before taking this trip with Chynna. Obviously, not necessarily related to his death in any way. Just another bit of irony, I suppose. I admit I'm curious which ranch he was employed on, branding cattle. And how long he was there. MOO

It seems almost nobody lives there, it's all government-owned land, which they lease to tourist operators like lodges and hunting/fishing camps. No hydro, no roads. But I think it's pretty wide open for public use by horseback, boat, atv, hiking.

 

[Betty P]

Thanks! So heading North, away from the ranch, towards Liard Hot Springs.

Finally it makes sense to me. They were on the first day or two of their travels, they were finished at the ranch.

I think so, I'm going to double check on his video. I was wondering if they planned to stay the night at the Lodge up the road or at the Hot Springs nearby. IIRC, the Hot Springs are part of a national park?


ETA: Yes, the witness on Gray's show said the car was pointing north. She assumed maybe Lucas and Chynna were heading on to the Yukon or Alaska. She was just guessing, of course, since she didn't talk to them.

 

[SteveP]

A few questions that, as far as I can tell, we may not have heard the answers to.

I read that the intent was to camp while travelling. Tent camping? Sleeping bag on open ground camping? Sleeping in the van camping? Do we have any idea if they were killed before nightfall, or while sleeping in whatever style was planned?

It seems they were only a day or two into their adventure. When did CD arrive from Charlotte? How did she get to the ranch, if that is where she met up with LF? Where is the nearest airport that she would have flown in from? If they did not begin their adventure from the ranch, where did they stay initially after she arrived?

I read something a friend of LF's had said to the effect of CD being his first real girlfriend. Was he CD's first serious boyfriend? I seriously doubt that a jealous ex would travel that far to bring harm to someone, but it would not be completely unheard of.

Perhaps none of these things factored into this crime, but they are just some random questions that I have. JMO

 

[zecats]

I think so, I'm going to double check on his video. I was wondering if they planned to stay the night at the Lodge up the road or at the Hot Springs nearby. IIRC, the Hot Springs are part of a national park?

The Hot Springs apparently have a lodge too. Unless that's the one you meant.

Home - Liard Hot Springs Lodge

 

[zecats]

Of course, since they were driving a van, they could have been sleeping in that. Lodge offers camping sites as well.

 

[otto]

I think so, I'm going to double check on his video. I was wondering if they planned to stay the night at the Lodge up the road or at the Hot Springs nearby. IIRC, the Hot Springs are part of a national park?

ETA: Yes, the witness on Gray's show said the car was pointing north. She assumed maybe Lucas and Chynna were heading on to the Yukon or Alaska. She was just guessing, of course, since she didn't talk to them.

Thanks for confirming that!

I suspect that they were living in the van to cut costs, and they were probably going to stop at the hot springs as part of their national park tour. 24 year olds like road trips where they sleep in the van and travel cross country on a planned route.

"It is home to the largest natural hot springs in Canada. It is a natural river of hot water rather than a spring fed man made pool. The park is part of the larger Muskwa-Kechika Management Area. The community of Liard River, British Columbia is located nearby."​

Liard River Hot Springs Provincial Park - Wikipedia

 

[Betty P]

The Hot Springs apparently have a lodge too. Unless that's the one you meant.

Home - Liard Hot Springs Lodge

Yes, I think it's the same Lodge. Looks like there was also camping spots available, which may have been what they were seeking. I sense they were traveling on a budget and at their age, was probably what they preferred. They may have wanted to stop at the lodge to eat, though. Pretty sure it has a restaurant. Gas and store, too. For the time of day they broke down, it seems logical they were probably planning to stop there. Also why they may not have been in a big hurry when people passed because there was plenty of daylight left and the Hot Springs were only 15 or 20 miles ahead.

Camping - Liard Hot Springs Lodge