Alleged serial killer in Winnipeg accused of killing 3 more women
Alleged serial killer in Winnipeg accused of killing 3 more women
Four Indigenous women in Winnipeg are believed to be dead at the hands of an alleged serial killer.
Jeremy Anthony Michael Skibicki, 35, is now facing four charges of first-degree murder following an investigation that started back in May following the death of an Indigenous woman.
On May 16, 2022, police provided details about the death of 24-year-old Rebecca Contois after her partial remains were found near an apartment building in the 200 block of Edison Avenue. Additional remains were later found in June at the Brady Landfill.
Skibicki was charged with first-degree murder in connection with Contois' death.
Police continued to investigate saying they didn't rule out the possibility that there were more victims.
On Thursday, police announced that three more victims had been identified. It is believed they were killed before Contois, between March and May.
One woman, who has not yet been identified, is believed to have been killed around March 15, 2022. Police said the victim is an Indigenous woman in her mid-20s with an average build.
Two other women have been identified, 39-year-old Morgan Beatrice Harris of Winnipeg, who is believed to have been killed on or around May 1, and 26-year-old Marcedes Myran of Winnipeg, who is believed to have been killed on or around May 4.
Both Harris and Myran were members of Long Plain First Nation.
As a result of the investigation, police said they have charged Skibicki with three more counts of first-degree murder.
The charges against Skibicki have not been proven in court.
Mayor Scott Gillingham called Thursday a “painful day for Winnipeg.”
“We must never become numb to the horrors of the news that we’re hearing today, because every homicide represents a life,” he said. “As a father, as a husband, I feel deep sorrow for these lives that have been lost far too early.”
Police Chief Danny Smyth said it's unsettling when there is "any kind of serial killing," adding these homicides are unsettling because "they involve Indigenous women."
Police released a photo of a jacket they say is similar to the one believed to have been worn by the unidentified woman who was killed in March wore. The jacket is reversible, and contains a black and white pattern, the words “baby phat,” a fur hood, and a cat-like logo on the front and back of the jacket.
A photo shows one side of a jacket similar to one a homicide victim in Winnipeg was wearing. Police are asking for the public's help to identify the victim. (Winnipeg police handout)
A photo shows one side of a jacket similar to one a homicide victim in Winnipeg was wearing. Police are asking for the public's help to identify the victim. (Winnipeg police handout)
“The last thing we want is this victim to be a Jane Doe,” said Inspector Shawn Pike with the major crimes unit.
The three new homicides bring the city’s total for the year to 50, a number Gillingham called “unacceptable.”
“As mayor, as a citizen, I cannot accept that, and as a city, we must not accept it,” he said. “We need to do more.”
Smyth called the four homicides “senseless and tragic acts.”
“We will do our best to support the families now and into the future as these investigations move towards prosecutions,” he said.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
Advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say new guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
Members of Parliament return to Ottawa to resume sitting for the first time in 2023 on Monday, with the state of Canada's health-care system, the health of the Canadian economy, and rates of violent crime in this country all top of mind.
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84. He played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and Hartford Whalers as well as the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets over a 23-year pro career.
With Russia's invasion of Ukraine displacing millions of people, many refugees have begun to lay their roots in Canada. If you or someone you know has fled the war-torn country and settled in Canada, we want to hear from you.
A new grant program announced by the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Grey Cup Festival Volunteer Host Organizing Committee will support provincial programs around the province directed at youth, healthy lifestyles and mental health, the team said in a news release.
A man accused of murder said he has been behind bars at the Saskatoon Correctional Centre for the last 1,310 days and is only allowed out three hours each day.
Two people discovered asleep in a vehicle in Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 30 were found with weapons and more than $175,000 in illegal drugs, Sault police said Monday.
Actor Annie Wersching, best known for playing FBI agent Renee Walker in the series '24' and providing the voice for Tess in the video game 'The Last of Us' has died. She was 45.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith's office says the province objects to Ottawa's plan to extend eligibility for medically assisted death to people whose sole underlying condition is a mental illness.
Advocates and business owners in the beverage industry say new guidance for drinking alcohol could speed up changing consumer drinking habits as younger generations drink less and non-alcoholic beverages become more popular.
A Toronto passenger said her Sunwing Airlines flight was unforgettable as she recounted the moments after the pilot shut down the plane’s engine mid-flight to Montego Bay on Friday.
The Farmers' Almanac just revealed its spring 2023 forecast and Ontario, along with much of the rest of Canada, is expected to see a “turbulent transition to warmth,” the agency predicts.
The University of Lethbridge, following a great deal of push back from students and members of the public, has cancelled a planned lecture from a controversial guest speaker.
A six-year-old girl died in hospital Sunday night after being involved in an incident at the Val-Saint-Côme ski resort in Lanaudiere. Quebec police are investigating, though details into the event are not yet known. Officers indicated that it involved a T-bar lift, but they were not able to say more.
Quebec's minister responsible for secularism, Jean-Francois Roberge, has called on Canada’s new special anti-Islamophobia advisor Amira Elghawaby to apologize and step down.
OPS and Ottawa Bylaw officers issued 192 parking tickets and 67 Provincial Offences Notices in downtown Ottawa this weekend, as people gathered marked the one-year anniversary of the 'Freedom Convoy'.
The coronavirus remains a global health emergency, the World Health Organization chief said Monday, after a key advisory panel found the pandemic may be nearing an 'inflection point' where higher levels of immunity can lower virus-related deaths.
The grisly aftermath of an alleged fatal shooting was described today during the murder trial of a former medical student accused of killing a fellow student in Halifax seven years ago.
Halifax Regional Police Chief Dan Kinsella is among several Canadian police chiefs to speak out against the beating death of a Black man by several police officers in Memphis, Tenn., earlier this month.
Horror, outrage, and pain are just a few words Robert Wright uses to describe his feelings after watching Tyre Nichols pinned and assaulted by officers in Memphis.
The Waterloo Fire Department is crediting a working carbon monoxide (CO) detector for potentially helping to save the lives of two people early Sunday morning.
Hockey Hall of Famer Bobby Hull has died at the age of 84. He played for the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks and Hartford Whalers as well as the World Hockey Association's Winnipeg Jets over a 23-year pro career.
British Columbia is taking a major step forward in its fight against the province’s deadly overdose crisis by decriminalizing the possession of a small amount of certain illicit drugs for personal use.
Mounties are asking the public for help finding a 30-year-old woman missing in Nanaimo, B.C. Police say Samantha Evans has not been heard from since Jan. 11. Her family contacted the Nanaimo RCMP one week later and a missing person's investigation was launched on Jan. 18.
A photo shows one side of a jacket similar to one a homicide victim in Winnipeg was wearing. Police are asking for the public's help to identify the victim. (Winnipeg police handout)
A photo shows one side of a jacket similar to one a homicide victim in Winnipeg was wearing. Police are asking for the public's help to identify the victim. (Winnipeg police handout)
