The two Canadian men who authorities believe murdered three people, including an American citizen, recorded several videos before they killed themselves, NBC News reports.
Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, were found dead in a densely wooded area of Manitoba, British Columbia, on Aug. 7. Police say the cause of death was suicide.
The teens were suspected in the killing of Chynna Deese, an American from North Carolina, and her boyfriend, Lucas Fowler, of Australia. The pair had also had been charged with murdering Leonard Dyck, a University of British Columbia botanist.
Investigators say they haven’t been able to identify a motive that prompted the killing spree, which triggered a massive manhunt involving the Canadian military into remote stretches of the country.
“We have no evidence that leads us to identify what the motive was,” RCMP Assistant Commissioner Kevin Hackett told NBC News. “If there was a motive, it is gone with the accused.”
Authorities recovered six videos on a digital camera found near the men’s bodies. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police does not intend to release the videos publicly, but their contents were described in the NBC News report.
• In a 58-second video, Schmegelsky acknowledges that he and McLeod committed the three murders and were planning to go to Hudson Bay, where they intended to hijack a boat and escape to Africa or Europe.
• The second video records Schmegelsky saying the pair were at a fast-moving river and that they may have to take their own lives. McLeod concurs in this assessment and they again say they are responsible for killing the three victims.
• A 32-second video in which Schmegelsky states he and McLeod intend to kill additional people and plan to be dead within a week. They shaved to prepared for their deaths.
• A 19-second video in which McLeod and Schmegelsky explain how they will commit suicide.
• A final video 31 seconds long in which the pair give their last will and testament and express a desire for their bodies to be cremated.
A 6-second video also was found that seemed to have been recorded unintentionally.
Hackett reportedly said the duo appeared “cold” and “remorseless” in the videos.
It is not clear why the killers chose their victims; and authorities appear to believe the murders may have been random. Deese and Fowler had been stopped alongside a remote highway because of vehicle troubles, Hackettt said.
“There is no real clear understanding of why they were ultimately targeted, other than the fact they were at the side of the road,” Hackett told NBC News.
Fowler was the son of a senior police official in the New South Wales Police Department in Australia and had been living in British Columbia; Deese was there visiting him.
For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.
