Canada - Lucas Fowler, Chynna Deese, and Leonard Dyck, all murdered, Alaska Hwy, BC, Jul 2019 #17

[sandbar]

dbm

 

[Gina20]

Given the present circumstances including the police report not yet finalized, would it seem logical that B’s family would hurry to hold a “celebration of life” for B at this time? Grieving takes on many different shades but I’d be surprised if they’ve got anywhere near the point of understanding. Suicide is one thing but B is also accused of needlessly taking 3 innocent victims with him.

I was merely noting that different terms are used to describe formal services. They don't mean the same thing to everyone, and people use them interchangeably.

Yes, some families want services right away. It is very individual. Others wait months, others have no service, some invite friends and family to a musical celebration and a meal, others have a service at the time of spreading the ashes. Some people drive around with the ashes in their vehicle, judging by the number of stories in the news about vehicles stolen with loved ones' ashes inside.

I think that most people who have lost a child, especially an only child, need time with their child's remains, regardless of the circumstances of their death. MOO.

 

[cartman]

Assuming there is a video (I think there is)... do we know how the family members viewed it? I always assumed (dangerous, I know) that the RCMP played the clip for the family members and didn’t actually give them the clip.

 

[MistyWaters]

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/snook-absence-costs-1.5116716

Compassion is sorely lacking here, IMO. AS is not a prisoner, and even prisoners are allowed to attend funerals of loved ones, in certain circumstances. Even prisoners who have done terrible things.

There may not have been a formal service, but why couldn't AS have been granted time with his son's remains privately, under supervision? The answer may be in that video that he is not allowed to see, nor does he have a transcript or an audio recording?

Thinking back to another father's statement about how important it was to bring his boy home.

How do we know his son’s remains were viewed other family members? The autopsy was conducted in Manitoba, not B.C. From there it would become the custodial parents responsibility to instruct a Manitoba Funeral Home that took charge of the remains. Did they wish for the bodies to be transported back to BC to a funeral home in that province or did they all fly to Manitoba for a viewing prior to crematation or just issues instructions for cremation. If the remains were cremated, they could still be in Manitoba, held by the Funeral Home as no time clock is ticking. Iirc funeral homes will hold ashes for up to a year.

I’m interested in the absence of facts - how does AS know a funeral and burial has already taken place?

 

[copkid]

At the time of notification she did not have custody, as he had already turned 19.

I believe any custody agreement would end at the time the "child" turned 18, which would have happenedAug 4, 2018.

At that time Bryer would be deemed an adult.

JMO but I do not think the RCMP are obligated to realease anything to the famlies of "an adult".

RCMP would, of course, notify next of kin when a death is involved, but beyond that I think Canada's privacy laws prevent much more.

I highly doubt the M/S families know much more than we do.

The showing of the 30 second video must have been related to a certain special request that the families needed to be aware of. JMO

I feel them not showing AS is possibly related to fears of him discussing it with the media in advance of the RCMPs report. JMO

 

[sandbar]

Assuming there is a video (I think there is)... do we know how the family members viewed it? I always assumed (dangerous, I know) that the RCMP played the clip for the family members and didn’t actually give them the clip.

My guess is no way would they give an actual video clip to anyone at this point. Possibly after the investigation is wrapped up, but probably not even then...

 

[sandbar]

dbm

 

[Gina20]

How do we know his son’s remains were viewed other family members? The autopsy was conducted in Manitoba, not B.C. From there it would become the family members son’s to instruct a Funeral Home, did they wish for the bodies to be transported back to BC or did they all fly to Manitoba for a viewing prior to crematation or just issue instructions for cremation. If the remains were cremated, they could still be in Manitoba, held by the Funeral Home.

I’m interested in the absence of facts - how does AS know a funeral and burial has already taken place?

We don't know if there was a funeral from any official source.

We do know that AS has said that he was not allowed.

We do know that someone told him about the video, and that person may have told him other things, too.

 

[sandbar]

We don't know if there was a funeral from any official source.

We do know that AS has said that he not been allowed, and wont be allowed.

We do know that someone told him about the video, and that person may have told him other things, too.

AND, there is nothing stopping AS from having a memorial, a service, or whatever. But that would mean him having to do something rather than him asking for something...

 

[tabitha111]

Posting the "letter" again for those that may have missed it.

 

[Gina20]

AND, there is nothing from stopping AS from having a memorial, a service, or whatever. But that would mean him having to do something rather than him asking for something...

Some people need to spend time with the remains. It is often based in family tradition and cultural background. As a parent who never got to say goodbye to his only child, this is what he may want. IMO. I think other parents who have lost children have the same need. JMO.

 

[katydid23]

does custodial parent standing not end at death of the child? if AS is on birth certificate then he should have legal rights to the same info. I don't think a will is just instant I think it has a process to under go.

A bio parent can mess up their rights as a parent, by acting criminally in a threatening manner, and be given jail time and long standing restraining orders. Why would a woman, who felt intimidated by violent threats and harassment, want to reach out to that person in a family crisis?

 

[katydid23]

a adopted parents name would be on the birth certificate. adoption is not anywhere near the same as child custody.

No, there are two birth certificates in adoptive cases. The original has bio parents, and the revised BC has the adoptive parents named.

 

[sandbar]

Some people need to spend time with the remains. It is often based in family tradition and cultural background. As a parent who never got to say goodbye to his only child, this is what he may want. IMO. I think other parents who have lost children have the same need. JMO.

I hear you.
How to get your needs met is the struggle in life isn't it?

 

[missy1974]

I think there are a lot of assumptions being made about what rights AS did and didn't have. I have looked and I can't find anywhere that AS lost his parental rights? He may have chosen to not exercise his rights for many years, but at some point in the last 2 years, he did, and it was to the point that Bryer lived with him for 2 months a few years ago. After that, he visited on a regular basis. If there was a court order that stated he was to have no access, no parental rights, etc. those visits would not have been taking place at all IMO

There are so many different variations of custodial orders that there is just no way to "guess" what order was in place in this situation. Ultimately, I don't think that order matters when it comes to "next of kin" in this instance and whether the RCMP share with him and call him next of kin or not. I actually think legally he is probably considered next of kin, I don't think there is any law or rule in place that states it can only be one person. Next of kin of someone who does not have a spouse or children is the parents ... plural, not singular. The RCMP may not want to share it with him, but they used 'it was shared with the next of kin', who they identified as being the mother, as an excuse to not share it with him IMO. It will be interesting to see if this lawyer representing AS files anything in court for him to get access.

I will also say from experience, when dealing with the RCMP, they will typically have 1 family member as the next of kin as a contact just for ease and time, which is probably what happened in this case, but this does not preclude the RCMP from talking to or giving information to other family member's if that family member contacts them or they contact other family members. I think the RCMP just chose not to show AS for obvious reasons, but I think there is a question to the legality of it, which his lawyer is "exploring the options".

 

[Jan424]

Beautiful, thoughful post. Thanks.

"Most of them seem possible even if they are at odds with other scenarios that also seem possible"

So true!

This hit the nail on the head for me. My thoughts exactly.

 

[katydid23]

This is a genuine question. Can DS be the custodial parent if her son lives with his grandmother? Wouldn't the grandmother have custody?

No, not if it wasn't legally changed.
If I have legal custody of my son, I can allow him to live with a grandparent or my ex spouse, but I would still have legal custodial rights. Unless I changed it through the courts.

 

[FactFinder3000]

I believe any custody agreement would end at the time the "child" turned 18, which would have happenedAug 4, 2018.

At that time Bryer would be deemed an adult.

...

The age of majority is 19 in BC.

In fact, one reason Bryer might not have had his license is because his guardian may have refused to allow it.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

An email of the exchange obtained by The Canadian Press says the video is about how Bryer wanted his body to be dealt with after his death.

In the email, the RCMP says the information about Bryer’s wishes was passed on to his mother and that police plan on publicly addressing the video in a media release in the next few weeks.

Leamon says she doesn’t know how the email became public, but she verified its contents.

The RCMP did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Father of Bryer Schmegelsky seeks access to final video taken before murder suspect’s suicide

 

[Schmoosh]

Another scenario no one has considered: that Bryer stated in the video that he doesn't want his Dad anywhere near his funeral/burial/celebration of life/whateveryoucallit, and may have even stated he didn't want AS to see the video itself.

We just don't know, and may never.