Canada - Lucas Fowler, Chynna Deese, and Leonard Dyck, all murdered, Alaska Hwy, BC, Jul 2019 #15

[sprucetip]

Every SAR dog is trained to find deceased bodies, but the cadaver dog can find human remains in water, or buried under a metre of dirt, and bodies that were buried years ago.

Interesting, didn't know the difference. That article posted earlier mentioned the dog found a body in 30ft of water. Impressive!

 

[otto]

Did LE discover LD's identity possibly a day earlier than reported and that's why there was a publication ban for one day in the hopes that KM and BS would be found before being listed as suspects in the murder?

RCMP were in Gillam on July 23, so I think they made the connection between the vehicle and the victim that day, but the identify of the victim was officially announced on July 24. It was not confirmed that the Rav4 belonged to Len Dyck until August 7.

 

[otto]

No-one could see through the broken window as it had black plastic taped over it to prevent more glass from falling out, but the left window looked normal to me. The photo of the van in the police parking lot doesn't appear to show any other windows being covered.

View attachment 198545

Lucas Fowler and the minibus of Chynna Deese with a blown rear window

That must be what the tow truck driver was referring to when he said he could not see into the vehicle.

 

[puppyraiser]

RCMP were in Gillam on July 23, so I think they made the connection between the vehicle and the victim that day, but the identify of the victim was officially announced on July 24. It was not confirmed that the Rav4 belonged to Len Dyck until August 7.

So then what do you think the publication ban was in effect for? What was LE trying to keep out of the public... for one day?

 

[MistyWaters]

Did LE discover LD's identity possibly a day earlier than reported and that's why there was a publication ban for one day in the hopes that KM and BS would be found before being listed as suspects in the murder?

You could be right. I recall prior to the RCMP reporting the identity of LD they stated the name of the victim had been determined but was being withheld pending notification of family but I don’t remember if that was early July 24th or the day before. I can’t find a link and so I think I heard it during a PC.

It was also Tuesday, July 23rd the fact the two were driving a 2011 RAV4 was first publicly mentioned.

“Saskatchewan RCMP on Tuesday said the pair were seen Sunday in Meadow Lake, approximately 300 kilometres northwest of Saskatoon. B.C. RCMP earlier in the day said McLeod and Schmegelsky had been seen in northern Saskatchewan driving a grey 2011 Toyota Rav4.”
Armed and dangerous B.C. murder suspects spotted in Meadow Lake: RCMP

 

[Optics]

I think he said it too and they just didn't include everything he said in the video for some reason, perhaps an oversight or mistake. The news source that did the interview was reputable so I don't see why they would make it up.

I don't think he meant to praise it either. I think he was saying that he thought Kam and Bryer's intention was to go out in a blaze of glory. As in, that is how they would see it, as most mass killers do. He even said in the 60 Minutes interview "there's no glory in what they did," which to me was indicating that he definitely didn't mean to sound like he was praising their actions.

I agree I remember him saying it clearly and that is exactly how I interpreted his saying is that he thought that was their mindset or Bryer's at least to possibly go out in a 'blaze of glory'. I wish media had not twisted or misinterpreted that comment, but we all know they go for the little sound bite taking it out of context, because they know most of the unsuspecting public will not follow up and listen to the full context but rather that phrase. That aspect of media reporting really bothers me.

 

[NJSleuth91]

I agree, and lots of jobs in Alberta if they were going there.

I don’t see them working hard labour either, it was all likely bs so they could tell people something to account for their disappearing act. I really wonder what KM told his family...

Bryer had already worked construction with his dad two years earlier.

It's possible it was planned as a murder trip. It's possible they actually went up there looking for work and it just turned into a murder trip -- now that we know there were two guns, it's less likely, but still possible. It's possible it was planned as robberies (greater chance of getting away with it in a remote area where nobody knows you) and ended up being murder. It's possible it was planned as a suicide pact and then became "the world rejected us so let's take some people out on our way out."

It's possible they left abruptly, possibly after one or both being fired from Walmart (not quitting), possibly after Bryer pretended to graduate high school but actually didn't, angry at the world, feeling alienated by society, emotionally numb from years of untreated severe depression, without any clear plan but with guns just in case because they were angry at the world, possibly even with drugs/alcohol (two teenagers out on their own for the first time...I'd bet on it), basically just driving as far away as they could from the town and families they felt oppressed by, in a sort of fog. And whatever they talked about on the long drive there, just the two of them with their rage issues and violent impulses, determined what happened next. And after the rage wore off, as it often does, they realized just what they had done, panicked, made the idiot decision to steal a car which led to another innocent person's death, ran as far away as they could, were completely terrified according to witnesses before they got into the wilderness so you can imagine how they were after, realized there was no way out of this and "well, we already sort of wanted to kill ourselves anyway, so I guess this is it."

Currently we don't have enough evidence to say which of these scenarios is the correct one. My money right now is on the last one, but I could be wrong. JMO.

 

[otto]

So then what do you think the publication ban was in effect for? What was LE trying to keep out of the public... for one day?

Maybe they wanted to issue an arrest warrant, but they had not yet notified next of kin.

 

[MistyWaters]

If it’s true Bryer’s mom grew to be afraid of him as he got older, there’s a lot more to the father’s “good kid” version, sadly.

“A former co-worker of Sweeney, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Post Friday that Sweeney often talked about her son at work. He had behavioural issues and she tried to give him everything he wanted, including video games, to the point of spoiling him, the former co-worker said.

But the relationship was rocky. “I recall her saying a couple of times that she was afraid of him because of his outbursts,” the former co-worker said. The boy eventually ran away from home and moved in with his grandmother...”

If you ‘inadvertently’ helped two suspected killers escape, please come forward, RCMP urge

 

[otto]

If it’s true Bryer’s mom grew to be afraid of him as he got older, there’s a lot more to the father’s “good kid” version, sadly.

“A former co-worker of Sweeney, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Post Friday that Sweeney often talked about her son at work. He had behavioural issues and she tried to give him everything he wanted, including video games, to the point of spoiling him, the former co-worker said.

But the relationship was rocky. “I recall her saying a couple of times that she was afraid of him because of his outbursts,” the former co-worker said. The boy eventually ran away from home and moved in with his grandmother...”

If you ‘inadvertently’ helped two suspected killers escape, please come forward, RCMP urge

If he shot up to 6'4" at the age of 14 or 15 and had been neglected leading up to that hormonal shock, it is not surprising that he threatened to treat his mother as she had treated him, or been angry with her.

 

[scrappinkat]

Maybe, when they were younger they were at each other's house, and maybe 12 or 13 more at Kam's house? Better after school snacks? Better computer? Parents at work?

Based on this article and input from a neighbour I’m guessing that Bryer didn’t have friends over when he was younger.

Bryer never did anything to cause me alarm. He was a little shy and was an oddball kid at 11, 12, 13. He was here a lot, he had a home life, this was his fun house, she said.
​

Port Alberni searches for answers as manhunt for murder suspects continues

 

[NJSleuth91]

If he shot up to 6'4" at the age of 14 or 15 and had been neglected leading up to that hormonal shock, it is not surprising that he threatened to treat his mother as she had treated him, or been angry with her.

Especially if, as the court records suggest, he had witnessed during some very formative years, multiple incidents of his dad acting in a way that made his mom fear for her life....

 

[scrappinkat]

Have police released sketches of victims for public identification even tho they have a confirmed identification already?

No.

 

[otto]

Based on this article and input from a neighbour I’m guessing that Bryer didn’t have friends over when he was younger.

Bryer never did anything to cause me alarm. He was a little shy and was an oddball kid at 11, 12, 13. He was here a lot, he had a ****** home life, this was his fun house, she said.
​

Port Alberni searches for answers as manhunt for murder suspects continues

If the first sign of problems was 11, 12, 13, then that must be when he felt neglected. His mom remarried and gave Bryer a sibling. I wonder if that coincides with his disconnection with family.

Bryer

• 2000 born
• 2005 divorce
• 2008 no unsupervised contact with father
• 2011 shows signs of compartmentalizing friends and family
• 2019 graduated high school
• 2019 murdered 3 people

 

[NJSleuth91]

Based on this article and input from a neighbour I’m guessing that Bryer didn’t have friends over when he was younger.

Bryer never did anything to cause me alarm. He was a little shy and was an oddball kid at 11, 12, 13. He was here a lot, he had a ****** home life, this was his fun house, she said.
​

Port Alberni searches for answers as manhunt for murder suspects continues

For some reason that quote really depresses me (and I've read other quotes saying much the same thing, that he basically went to other kids' houses to avoid being at home). A kid should feel like they're able to have fun in their own house.

 

[scrappinkat]

Interesting! I hadn’t seen this before. So LD must have confirmed with someone that he was heading to Dease Lake. I wonder if there is any connection with KM and BS being in the same spots, Terrace and Stewart.

Still, it is possible his family was with him on the trip, (just not with him when he was murdered).

Me Friesen said “The trip to the Dease Lake area wasn’t part of original Dyck’s plans, Friesen said, adding he was only supposed to travel between Terrace and Stewart.

“[It was] kind of random in nature. He decided, ‘I’m going to go further up north. I got the time,’” he said...”.

He didn’t say that Mr Dyck was heading to Dease Lake, he simply was going further up north. No destination specified.

 

[sprucetip]

I read this article a few days ago. Looking at the pic of younger Leonard with the backpack, he reminded me of Lucas - complete with the long hair!

Two men with such a similar love for the outdoors. So sad.

I know! I thought the same thing. They seemed so similar and along with Chynna, just in love with life.

 

[otto]

Especially if, as the court records suggest, he had witnessed during some very formative years, multiple incidents of his dad acting in a way that made his mom fear for her life....

We don't know what the story is with Bryer's mom being afraid of him. We know that she sought court orders to prevent her ex-husband from having contact with Bryer, and that she was afraid of Bryer.

Some children at the age of 2 swear, others say "pardon me." What sort of 2 year old was Bryer?

 

[sprucetip]

I appreciated this memorandum page at the UBC site and, in particular, the photo of him from a biology field trip. I find it refreshing, amid all the speculation regarding the suspects, to remember the life passions, interests, and contributions of the victims.
In memoriam of Len Dyck | botany.ubc.ca

I love that he was such a nerd for botany. The pic of him with the seaweed is great. Most people would be like ew seaweed. But he was probably super excited to see it and share his knowledge.

Man, I don’t even know the guy and I’m super sad at what happened to him. I can’t imagine what his family is going thru.

 

[MistyWaters]

If he shot up to 6'4" at the age of 14 or 15 and had been neglected leading up to that hormonal shock, it is not surprising that he threatened to treat his mother as she had treated him, or been angry with her.

A mother being frightened of a 14 or 15 year old is definitely not normal. There is nothing to indicate she was physically abusive, if that’s what you mean by “threatened to treat her as she treated him”.

At this point in time we don’t know if she sought intervention but she certainly should've. Perhaps that’s a reason he ran away to his father. There’s another side to this story I think and I can’t blame the mother and grandmother for not becoming involved in a media feud with AS as it serves no useful purpose and is disrespectful to the families of the three innocent victims who lost their lives.