Canada - Lucas Fowler, Chynna Deese, and Leonard Dyck, all murdered, Alaska Hwy, BC, Jul 2019 #20

[Lalalacasbah]

Well the other thing is, practically speaking, it didn't seem at first like the type of case where sharing missing photos would help. Sharing missing photos helps in those cases where like, the person left their house and there was never any sign of them again. I think the circumstances on the 19th indicated one of two conclusions at the time: a) the killer murdered Kam and Bryer and then took Professor Dyck's vehicle, or b) they were the killers. My guess is, most people who knew them assumed scenario a) had happened and that their bodies would probably be found nearby.

Sharing missing photos also helps in cases which have little publicity. This was already a huge international news story (I even remember seeing it on the news at the laundromat and I live 3000+ miles away) and probably every person who lived in the general region of the murders knew about it, so there wouldn't be much benefit to sharing it. Maybe I'm just thinking about it too practically, but that's what I'm thinking of...I don't know if my first impulse would be to share on social media, either.

Missing local (from same province or even close) people are a big deal where I'm from and posts spread fast. You never know who knows who so people tend to share to try to help. Maybe it's an island thing.

There are all kinds - people with mental health issues, people "who may be" at risk for self harm, people who suffer from dementia (two big cases I've seen spread like crazy on FB from the island and one from the mainland this year), known drug addicts, prostitutes, teenagers, kids under 13, etc.

But exactly like you say - it was huge news about Chynna and Lucas so then when all of a sudden Bryer and Kam are missing, people should've been freaking out trying to find them in hopes they weren't victims themselves! At least to know they were safe in case on the road in a no cell zone.

 

[Zella]

Self-publishing, in general, isn't difficult.

No, it's not, but I do believe, based on my own experiences working as an editor, that Friesen Press is why Alan's book has a disclaimer claiming it is fiction or fictionalized or something along that line. I think the project editor took one look at the manuscript and realized it was a libel lawsuit waiting to happen and insisted he slap that on there to cover themselves. MOO

 

[Zella]

No it doesn’t sound like it is difficult at all. He would have needed to pay for it and hit send I guess. He did take some steps towards that.

Would Bryer understand that tho?

Actually, in self-publishing, the author is technically in the driving seat for the whole thing. They have to check changes from editors, if they've picked that option, choose a cover, market the book, etc. I think it's a common misconception for authors who are both traditionally published and self-published that their involvement ends once they've written the book, and many self-published authors can end up overwhelmed by the process because they're being asked to basically do something without any industry experience and that no one person would be expected to handle at a traditional publisher.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Self-publishing, in general, isn't difficult.

Lots of people on the island do it. There are lots of artistic people that live here and on the gulf islands. Lots of indie type folks who don't want to go "corporate" lol

 

[MistyWaters]

No I mean, if Bryer was uncomfortable with the concept of it being published, he could have told his dad beforehand, and my sense is that his dad would have either not published it, or would have used a fake name or something. The book was written, like, 7 or 8 months before all this.

Either way, I could be wrong, but I doubt the book had anything to do with it. I think that was another weird coincidence in a case full of them.

How are you getting a sense AS cared whether B wanted the book published or not? He obviously didn’t care when he released it to the media while his son was a fugitive, accused of murdering three innocent strangers.

 

[CanadianSleuther]

No it doesn’t sound like it is difficult at all. He would have needed to pay for it and hit send I guess. He did take some steps towards that.

Would Bryer understand that tho?

Self-publishing is actually free and one doesn't need a self-publishing company to do it... I'm sure he would have told Bryer his plans. It seems like they were close after Bryer re entered his life.

 

[NJSleuth91]

It does specialize in self publishing. The company has a Victoria division as well as many reps all over the country and parts of the US. Weird coincidence is right. But I won’t go there.

I mean...who knows, it could be related. But currently, I'm not seeing it as likely, and I'm doubting that Bryer was paying much attention to his dad's claims of being about to self-publish a book, given the situation. Plus, that wouldn't be a reason for Kam to be part of it. I think whatever factors triggered their downward spiral were factors they could both relate on in a way.

There are all kinds - people with mental health issues, people "who may be" at risk for self harm, people who suffer from dementia (two big cases I've seen spread like crazy on FB from the island and one from the mainland this year), known drug addicts, prostitutes, teenagers, kids under 13, etc.

Yeah and in those cases it makes sense to share because they don't know what happened to them. In this case, though, most people probably thought they were dead already -- when a missing person's car is found burned out, 99 to 1 the person was murdered. I mean, maybe this is just my perspective of having followed missing persons cases for several years, I'm not sure. But I don't see logically how people who knew them would think sharing posts would have helped in this case given the scenario (of course, now it turns out it could have helped, but because they were the killers and on the run!)

But exactly like you say - it was huge news about Chynna and Lucas so then when all of a sudden Bryer and Kam are missing, people should've been freaking out trying to find them in hopes they weren't victims themselves! At least to know they were safe in case on the road in a no cell zone.

Most likely, people were trying to text and call them, but it sounds like they didn't have any phone service or internet.

 

[Lalalacasbah]

To elaborate off my post above, there were a couple huge missing persons cases from the island recently - Ben Kilmer disappeared on his own and Ryan Daley/Dan Archibald together. All three disappeared I think on the same day from Duncan area and Ucluelet but did not know each other and cases not connected.

Those three was ALL over social media, lots of desperation to find them from all kinds of people who knew them.

Recently the two guys from Surrey were missing and they had ties to crime and had families and their missing photos were all over social media as well with pleas of help. I actually think this might help weigh on the conscience of suspects as well if they're missing through association when a mother who has a young child at home is begging for any info on her missing husband.

Maybe it's a BC thing? Or a Canada thing not sure, but people really use social media when desperate in the first days to hear any clue, any sign, any tip to find their loved one.

Or maybe I'm the only one who notices this stuff on social media because I'm a Websleuther haha

 

[NJSleuth91]

How are you getting a sense AS cared whether B wanted the book published in not?

I really don't know how much they talked about it, if Bryer ever read it or gave his opinion on it, or ever thought it was a plan that would actually come to fruition (mentally ill and homeless people often have grand unrealistic plans of how they're going to fix their lives, and this sounds like it was one of those, and probably not the first one Bryer had heard from him, I'm guessing). It's possible Bryer didn't even take it seriously, or know or care, that the self-publishing date was July whatever. But I think if Bryer really didn't want his dad to publish it and told him so, his dad wouldn't have. That's just my opinion and feeling on it.

 

[NJSleuth91]

To elaborate off my post above, there were a couple huge missing persons cases from the island recently - Ben Kilmer disappeared on his own and Ryan Daley/Dan Archibald together. All three disappeared I think on the same day from Duncan area and Ucluelet but did not know each other and cases not connected.

Those three was ALL over social media, lots of desperation to find them from all kinds of people who knew them.

Recently the two guys from Surrey were missing and they had ties to crime and had families and their missing photos were all over social media as well with pleas of help. I actually think this might help weigh on the conscience of suspects as well if they're missing through association when a mother who has a young child at home is begging for any info on her missing husband.

Maybe it's a BC thing? Or a Canada thing not sure, but people really use social media when desperate in the first days to hear any clue, any sign, any tip to find their loved one.

Or maybe I'm the only one who notices this stuff on social media because I'm a Websleuther haha

But in those cases, were a burned-out vehicle and/or another murder victim found nearby? Or did they just go missing without a trace?

 

[CanadianSleuther]

Wasn't AS the only one to go to the public when both boys were still missing? I recall back to that interview. I wonder though when AS said that the boys could survive in the bush, if that only further convinced the RCMP that the boys weren't innocent?

 

[MistyWaters]

It was supposed to be published July 22nd? Wouldn’t AS have wondered by B suddenly took off without telling him in advance, just prior to what AS thought would get money rolling in from the release of the supposed hot-selling book he wrote in 12 days while drunk? I hadn’t noticed the anticipated publication date before. I find this disturbing.

“The father's book is laced with vicious criticism of Bryer's mother Deborah Sweeney, his ex-wife who he calls 'hex', detailing the custody battle over their son.....

.....Speaking to DailyMail.com, the 53-year-old said the memoir was meant to be published last week, the same day Bryer and McLeod are suspected of killing three people.”.....

.....”I put the release on hold, it was supposed to be released on Monday,' he said.

'I wrote my book so Bryer and I could buy a home,' he said. 'That was our plan.' ..”
Father of teen Canadian murder fugitive tries to hijack media frenzy to publicize his new book | Daily Mail Online

 

[Zella]

Wasn't AS the only one to go to the public when both boys were still missing? I recall back to that interview. I wonder though when AS said that the boys could survive in the bush, if that only further convinced the RCMP that the boys weren't innocent?

He's the only one I remember being filmed, but Bryer's grandmother was interviewed by the media when he was missing. Bryer's mom and Kam's dad also wrote letters to the press, but I think it was after they became suspects.

In all fairness, though, they were declared missing on a Sunday and were suspects by that Tuesday. There wasn't a lot of time for turn-around, I think. I would think for a lot of family members, too, they were being bombarded by inquiries from law enforcement, concerned relatives and friends, and the media, and they were probably overwhelmed. They may have been in the process of planning a public appearance when the news changed dramatically.

 

[LoisLane]

Actually, in self-publishing, the author is technically in the driving seat for the whole thing. They have to check changes from editors, if they've picked that option, choose a cover, market the book, etc. I think it's a common misconception for authors who are both traditionally published and self-published that their involvement ends once they've written the book, and many self-published authors can end up overwhelmed by the process because they're being asked to basically do something without any industry experience and that no one person would be expected to handle at a traditional publisher.

Yes I understand this. I’m assuming AS was aware and had it all managed by hisself. So he can release it when he is ready.

 

[LoisLane]

Self-publishing is actually free and one doesn't need a self-publishing company to do it... I'm sure he would have told Bryer his plans. It seems like they were close after Bryer re entered his life.

Oh yes, I see where I’m confusing people. He may have had to absorb some costs on his end such as a graphic designer for his cover and possibly hardware costs. I guess he would pay for hard copies.

Anyways it would probably appear pretty real to BS. I agree that BS was in the loop.

 

[NJSleuth91]

I honestly even doubt it was going to be released July 23rd. You know how sometimes <modsnip> people have all these grand plans, like "next week I'm going to do X and Y and get my life together!" I feel like it could have been one of those. Maybe he was taking some steps to get it published and maybe he thought it would be ready by then, but that doesn't mean it actually would be.

 

[Zella]

Yes I understand this. I’m assuming AS was aware and had it all managed by hisself. So he can release it when he is ready.

Well, that depends on the situation. He can choose to not make it available, but he likely didn't pick the original date of publication. It seems like he had hard copies done--I never heard references to online copies. That means Friesen Press sent it to a printer and had to work out a schedule with them. Sounds like Alan still got his copies, as an author will. I wonder what happened to the rest of his print run.

 

[Zella]

Oh yes, I see where I’m confusing people. He may have had to absorb some costs on his end such as a graphic designer for his cover and possibly hardware costs. I guess he would pay for hard copies.

Anyways it would probably appear pretty real to BS. I agree that BS was in the loop.

He's using a self-publisher, so depending on the package he paid for, this would all be included in his costs. But he would still have to approve the design, etc.

 

[CanadianSleuther]

He's using a self-publisher, so depending on the package he paid for, this would all be included in his costs. But he would still have to approve the design, etc.

Depending on the service it could be print on demand.

 

[Zella]

I honestly even doubt it was going to be released July 23rd. You know how sometimes <modsnip> people have all these grand plans, like "next week I'm going to do X and Y and get my life together!" I feel like it could have been one of those. Maybe he was taking some steps to get it published and maybe he thought it would be ready by then, but that doesn't mean it actually would be.

No, I don't think so. He would have known. Every self-published author I worked with knew exactly what day it was coming out. Printers have tight schedules and any delay in getting something to them as agreed-upon can lead to weeks of delay for them filling orders. MOO

Edited to add: Even for an online release, the date is known in advance. Otherwise, they can't coordinate their marketing efforts.