'I will not be resigning': Winnipeg police chief supportive of determining if landfill search is possible
Amid calls for his resignation, Winnipeg's police chief says he will not be stepping down and is committed to getting justice for the four victims of an alleged serial killer.
Calls for Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth's resignation have been growing from First Nation leaders and grieving family members since he announced police would not be searching a landfill for the remains of two victims of alleged serial killer Jeremy Skibicki.
"I will not be resigning," Smyth said in a written statement released Friday. "I understand your calls; the pain and sorrow is unimaginable. As the Chief of Police, I am committed to securing a criminal conviction for these heinous crimes."
Smyth reported earlier in December that investigators believe the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, who were both from Long Plain but lived in Winnipeg, are likely in the Prairie Green landfill.
He said a search for the remains is not feasible due in part to the passage of time and the 10,000 truckloads of garbage dumped in the area since the remains are believed to have ended up in the landfill in the spring.
Speaking in Ottawa on Thursday, Long Plain First Nation Chief Kyra Wilson said failing to search for the women's remains does not instill a sense of safety in the community.
"The message you are sending to the greater community is that Indigenous don't matter," Wilson said. "That if somebody wants to hurt our women that they can dump them in the landfill and no one will look for them."
Manitoba's Premier Heather Stefanson, joined by Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, announced Thursday that operations at the landfill had been paused while officials work to figure out next steps in the investigation.
Winnipeg Police Board chair Coun. Markus Chambers met with the Winnipeg police Thursday night about the search. Chambers told CTV News on Friday that any search would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.
However, he said something has to be done that is meaningful and that demonstrates the lives of the victims matter. Along with this, he said a search could also be important for holding future criminals accountable as well.
"Hopefully, it'll stand as a deterrent that you know, if you plan a murder and plan to use a dump to dispose of the body, there will be a search to that area to ensure that evidence can be collected, and hold that individual accountable," he told CTV News.
In Smyth's statement Friday, which was sent to First Nation leaders as well, he said he is 'supportive' of exploring whether it is possible to recover the remains of Myran and Harris.
Smyth said the investigations into the deaths of the four victims - Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris, and Buffalo Woman – has been one of the most complex and important investigations of his tenure.
He said 'difficult' decisions were made to advance the investigation to bring charges against Skibicki.
Jeremy Skibicki, 35, is facing four counts of first-degree murder. The charges have not been tested in court.
-with files from The Canadian Press and CTV's Jon Hendricks
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.