Canada manhunt: B.C fugitives 'long gone' and could be in U.S., Mexico or Bahamas

U.S., Mexico or the Bahamas - that is where the two teen fugitives at the centre of a Canada-wide manhunt could be, according to ‘Survivorman’ and ‘Mantracker’.

Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, both 19, from Port Alberni on Vancouver Island, B.C., have been evading the RCMP and Canadian military for two weeks.

The teens are triple murder suspects, wanted on a second-degree murder charge in the death of Leonard Dyck and are also linked to the deaths of Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese, according to police.

They travelled across four provinces in ten days before a sighting in Gillam, Man. prompted a large-scale operation, involving door-to-door searches, roadblocks and specialist teams scouring challenging terrain.

The latest twist in the search came over the weekend when a beaten-up hunter’s punt and other items were spotted washed up on the shoreline, approximately nine kilometres from where a burnt vehicle linked to the fugitives was located.

Following an underwater search of Nelson River, there were no leads found, prompting the question, where have they gone?

‘Long gone’

Les Stroud, the Canadian survivalist known as ‘Survivorman’ and Terry Grant, a cowboy known as ‘Mantracker,’believes the pair are ‘long gone’.

Stroud told National Post: “Technically speaking, they could be very far away.

“Could they have flown? That’s unlikely but they could drive just about anywhere. There’s lots of places to get over the border from Canada to the United States without being detected. For all we know, they could be in a car on their way to Mexico or in Mexico at this point.

Terry Grant, a cowboy known as ‘Mantracker’, said: “I haven’t heard anyone say we’ve seen them go into the woods with an axe and banana, no one ever said that.

“I’m half thinking they met someone in a big town and they’re long gone to Texas or the Bahamas.”

Latest from RCMP

To ensure the integrity of the investigation, the RCMP said it would not share further information about the other items found in Nelson River.

In a statement from Cpl. Chris Manseau, a media relations officer with the B.C. RCMP, they said they are “open to all possibilities”.

He added: “As for me to speculate on them crossing an international border, I would suggest that it’s a possibility, however we have to continue searching near their last confirmed sighting.”

Where could they have gone?

Grant said the chances of the duo entering the U.S. are a “two out of 10”.

He added: “Either they’ve been helped by someone, maybe they got to Winnipeg and stayed there, out of sight and now they’re heading east now that the heat is off.

“But if I was them, I would’ve been heading east about two days after the army moved into Gillam because that’s where the police and the whole army thinks they’re up there, so the last place they’re going to look for them is Northern Ontario - how they’ve got anywhere is beyond me.”

Stroud said the most likely scenario is that the suspects have found their way out of the bush and melted into a crowd.

“They’ve had time to utilize standard society to get away, so they could be well on their way.

“Now we’re into the Hollywood movie kind of thing, because having probably watched too many things online, who knows what’s in their head. I can only tell you what I would do and I would likely disappear into society and do all those silly Hollywood tricks like change my appearance.”

What if they haven’t survived?

Grant said if they died deep in the Manitoba bush, their bodies may never be found.

He added: “All those guys had to do was go eight kilometres in or around the lake, expire over there. The animals would make most of them disappear and their bodies would just go back into the ground.”

What more do we know about the victims?

Hundreds attended the funeral for Australian Lucas Fowler, who was killed along with his American girlfriend Chynna Deese. His father said: “They laughed and loved and touched the hearts of everyone they met. He met the love of his life and was at his happiest.”

Lucas’ funeral took place five days after a memorial for Chynna in Charlotte, North Carolina.

University of British Columbia lecturer and father Leonard Dyck, of Vancouver, was found in a burnout vehicle and was described as ‘truly irreplaceable’ by friends.

How to send your tips

If you spot the suspects, call your local police via the 911 number. Do not approach the two men.