Investigators in the B.C. community of Dease Lake were busily working at three separate scenes Tuesday as a pair of teen suspects wanted in connection with three deaths in the province's north remained at large.
Forensic investigators combed through the shell of a burned-out truck belonging to 18-year-old Bryer Schmegelsky and 19-year-old Kam McLeod, who are wanted in connection with the death of an unidentified man whose body was found some two kilometres away from the vehicle.
"I came through the day that happened and I saw the vehicle," said Dease Lake resident Margery Loverin. "To me, there was no sign of a camper being on the back of it. That's how badly it seemed to be burned."
The area by the side of the highway where the man's body was found is the second scene connected to the case.
The RCMP has also expanded its efforts to a third location much closer to the town of Dease Lake itself. That scene is also on the side of the highway, but it's unclear what's behind the police tape there.
Schmegelsky and McLeod are also wanted in connection with the deaths of Lucas Fowler and Chynna Deese, whose bodies were found on Monday, July 15 some 20 kilomtres south of Liard Hot Springs along the Alaska Highway. That's about a 500-kilometre drive from Dease Lake.
The burned truck near Dease Lake was found the following Friday, but there was no sign of the teens.
The suspects were spotted at a Super A store in Dease Lake the day before—one of the very few pit stops along the Alaska Highway.
Schmegelsky and McLeod also popped into Claudia Bunce's jade store.
"They may have done some other stuff in the store. We're not sure because we're just trying to look at the footage now," Bunce told CTV News. "Something like this happening just shakes the foundation of everybody."
Shortly before 3 p.m. on Tuesday, Mounties in Manitoba wrote that they believed McLeod and Schmegelsky had been in the Gillam area "recently."
Gillam is a town on the Nelson River located about 300 kilometres northeast of Thompson, Man.
As the search for clues continues and the hunt for the suspects expands, the RCMP held an event in the community Tuesday night to address concerns and provide any available updates.
With files from CTV Vancouver's Allison Hurst
