The small town of Gillam, Manitoba is feeling a little more normal today, two days after the RCMP announced they had found two bodies believed to be those of BC murder suspects Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky.
Speaking on Radio NL, Mayor Dwayne Forman says some people will need a little bit more time than others to return to their normal lives. “Once the story came out that the bodies were discovered, just a huge sense of relief throughout the entire community that we didn’t have to look through the forest anymore. Didn’t have to keep a sharp eye and constantly be worried.”
Forman says there was an ebb and flow to everyone’s attitude and mood over the course of the last two and a half weeks. “Some people carried on with locking their doors and the fear and the unknown, and other people just moved on to a sense of normalcy. Just wanted to carry on with their lives. But still keeping their eyes open for any strange things that were happening in the community, always staying vigilant.”
Forman says there were only about 60 people at a community meeting on Wednesday night following the RCMP press conference regarding the discovery of the bodies which was quite a few less people than a meeting held the night before. He says that was evidence that residents were beginning to calm down.
Forman adds that it was not at all surprising that it took as long as it did to find the the two men given the dense brush they were in. “Oh absolutely. The RCMP and the Air Force threw everything they could at this, but it’s just such a thick dense bush up here that it’s totally understandable that it was difficult for them to locate the individuals.” You could run through the area in an orange vest without being spotted, he said.
Autopsies were being conducted Thursday on the two bodies that are believed to be those of Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod. The pair were charged with second degree murder in connection to the death of 64-year-old Leonard Dyck who was found last on July 19th along Highway 37 near Dease Lake. The pair were also wanted in connection to the deaths of 23 year old Lucas Fowler and 24 year old Chynna Deese.
