A former classmate of one of the two suspected “baby-faced killers,” wanted in connection with three deaths, said the suspect made several alarming comments about murder and suicide.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Canadian police are searching for Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18. Both teens, of Port Albermie, are suspects in the deaths of North Carolina woman, Chynna Deese, and her Australian boyfriend, Lucas Fowler. The suspects are also wanted in connection with the death of Leonard Dyck, of Vancouver.
“I don’t want to be rude, but he was kind of a weird kid,” Madison Hempsted, one of Schmegelsky’s former classmates said, according to Global News.
“He didn’t really talk to anyone, super into himself. But when he did talk to people, the things he said were kind of scary…. All he ever said to me was how he wanted to kill me and ways he would do it.”
Hempstead reportedly told the outlet that students initially thought Schmegelsky was joking. The “jokes,” however, were extremely gruesome.
“[Schmegelsky] would say things about how he would cut our heads off and then he would take a gun and put it in his mouth and shoot himself in front of us. Pretty detailed stuff….We thought he was trying to be funny and make people laugh and make friends because he was so quiet.”
Another classmate called the suspect an “angry kid.”
Hempstead said she remembered Schmegelsky’s previous comments, which were made years ago when they were in the 7th grade, after she saw his face on television and learned he was a suspected killer.
Young married couple Chynna and Lucas were last seen on gas station security footage embracing each other while pumping gas into a blue Chevrolet van in British Columbia. Two days later, on July 15, authorities found the couple shot dead off of a British Columbia highway. Police said Fowler’s blue van was parked nearby.
As investigators searched for clues in the couple’s murder, they discovered another man three days later who had also been killed. Authorities found Leonard Dyck around 300 miles from Chynna and Lucas. His body was reportedly found around a mile away from a burning truck that belonged to the suspects.
Dyck was a beloved lecturer at the University of British Columbia.
Police said they initially considered the suspects as missing teens, but investigations uncovered that the duo may be involved in all three deaths. Authorities have been focusing on Gillam, a small town in northern Manitoba, after the teens were reportedly spotted there last week.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Manitoba police spokeswoman said someone was possibly assisting the teens and may not have been aware they were helping out fugitives.
“It is possible that someone may not have been aware of who they were providing assistance to, and may now be hesitant to come forward,” Courchaine said, according to CNN. “I want to reiterate the importance of contacting police immediately.”
Meanwhile, authorities continue to search the area for the teens, which has included searching work camps, abandoned homes, and dense woods.
“In addition to the canvass, over 100 empty homes have been thoroughly searched in the Town of Gillam,” RCMP said on Saturday. “Officers are also searching large abandoned buildings like the Keewatinohk Converter Station Camp, near Gillam, which has over 600 rooms. Following a request from the RCMP, assets from the Canadian Armed Forces arrived in Gillam earlier today to assist with the aerial search.”
FOX News reports that a family source indicated the suspects are “skilled survivalists.” However, a police source reportedly said the teens have no professional training, adding that the wooded area around Gillam consists of “dense bush, forest, and swamp.”
“You can play war games in the woods but this is the real world,” the police source reportedly said.
The story continues to develop. Check back with CrimeOnline as additional details become available.
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[Feature Photo: Bryer Schmegelsky (L) and Kam McLeod (R)/Police Handout]