Winnipeg's alleged serial killer 'absolutely' maintains his innocence, lawyer says
WARNING: The details in this article may be disturbing to some viewers. Discretion is advised.
The lawyer representing a Winnipeg man accused of killing four Indigenous women says his client 'absolutely' maintains his innocence and intends to plead not guilty.
Two sheriffs led Jeremy Anthony Michael Skibicki into a Manitoba Court of King's Bench courtroom Friday afternoon, his hands and feet chained.
The 35-year-old is accused of killing four Indigenous women between March and May of this year.
Friends and family members of the victims sat in the courtroom as Skibicki was directly indicted on four counts of first-degree murder. A direct indictment means the case goes straight to trial without a preliminary hearing.
'A TYPE OF GRIEF NEVER EXPERIENCED BEFORE': VICTIM'S FAMILY
Winnipeg police began the investigation in May after the partial remains of Rebecca Contois, 24, were found near an apartment building in the 200 block of Edison Avenue.
Police identified three more victims during a news conference on Thursday.
Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39, is believed to have been killed around May 1, and Marcedes Myran, 26, is believed to have been killed around May 4. Both women were members of the Long Plain First Nation.
One woman, who has not yet been identified but has been described as an Indigenous woman in her mid-20s with an average build, is believed to have been killed around March 15, 2022.
A statement from Contois' family says they have experienced paralyzing grief.
"I don’t think we have ever cried buckets of tears, painful wake-you-up-in-the-middle-of-the-night-anxiety, a type of grief never experienced before, deep, deep sadness," they said. "The last couple of months have been incredibly exhausting."
The family said they are sharing their deepest condolences with the families of the other victims.
'THEY DESERVE TO BE KNOWN:' DAUGHTER OF VICTIM CALLS FOR ACTION
Morgan Harris was reported missing on May 1, and was last seen in the area of Main Street and Henry Avenue. Her daughter, 21-year-old Cambria Harris, said she was utterly shocked to hear what had happened to her mom.
"I'm really saddened to hear that my mom was taken in such a savage and gruesome way," she said.
Leafing through family photographs with her own young daughter in the next room, Harris reflected on her mother’s life.
''Everyone knew who my mother was,” she said. “There wasn't a single person when we were searching for her - no one had a bad thing to say. Everyone knew her."
Harris says her mother was homeless and had fallen on hard times, but she wants her mother to be known for more than how she died. She says Morgan was known for her kindness.Cambria said her mother was an amazing woman with a bright soul who had been seeking help to deal with her addictions.
"My mom had fallen on hard times. She was homeless and I guess someone saw that and took advantage of her and took advantage of a vulnerable person."
Cambria said there needs to be more action to stop this from happening again.
"We need to start protecting our vulnerable youth and our vulnerable women – specifically Indigenous because that is the highest rate of who is at risk right now," she said.
"I think it is really important to speak up because as a young Indigenous woman like myself, I shouldn't have to fear going outside, and I shouldn't have to fear having to catch the bus before 6 o'clock so that it is not night-time. I shouldn't have to worry about not being able to leave my house just to go across the street to the store past 8."
She said the four women, and all missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, are more than just victims.
"Those are mothers, those are aunties, those are families, and they deserve to be known as that and not just as another picture on a missing persons’ poster."
POLICE SAY VICTIMS' REMAINS 'LIKELY' IN LANDFILL, BUT ARE NOT ABLE TO SEARCH IT
Shortly after Contois' partial remains were found near the apartment on Edison Avenue, police found additional remains at the Brady Landfill.
The remains of Harris, Myran, and the unidentified woman have not been found.
Winnipeg police Chief Danny Smyth later confirmed investigators believe the remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Beatrice Harris are in Prairie Green Landfill, located near Stony Mountain, Man.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Smyth said while investigators believe it is likely the remains of the other victims are in the landfill, police won't be able to search it.
"The reality is we are talking about a 50-plus-acre site with layers and layers of refuse. We wouldn't know where to begin. We are not in a position to search the whole site," Smyth told reporters on Friday.
He said he understands the need for closure from the families of the victims.
"I would want the remains of my loved ones as well," he said. "We just have no ability to know where that is and where to commence that search. It is not a feasible operation."
LAWYER SAYS NOT-GUILTY PLEAS ARE ANTICIPATED
Outside the law courts building on Friday, Skibicki's lawyer Leonard Tailleur told reporters his client 'absolutely' maintains his innocence.
He said it will be a while before they enter an official plea due to the amount of evidence disclosure provided by the provincial Crown, but he said he anticipates they will be entering a not-guilty plea on all four counts.
The charges against Skibicki have not been proven in court, and he is considered innocent until proven guilty.
Tailleur said with the amount of publicity the case has gotten, there is a concern about his client's presumption of innocence.
"The tendency of people, I speak generally here, is to make assumptions based on assertions that are made in the press or whatever, and that, of course, when they accumulate that becomes potentially a problem," Tailleur said.
-with files from CTV's Taylor Brock
-----------
There is a support line available for those impacted by missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and LGBTQ2S+ people: 1-844-413-6649.
Additional mental-health and community-based emotional support and cultural services are also available through the federal government.
Correction
In speaking to media on Dec. 6, 2022, Chief Danny Smyth said investigators believe the remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Beatrice Harris are in Prairie Green Landfill, located near Stony Mountain, Man., not in the Brady Landfill.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
They were from different countries and barely spoke each other's languages. More than 20 years later, they're still happily in love
He decided to spend Christmas somewhere that wouldn't involve snowstorm disasters. She was spending the holidays with family, travelling for the first time outside of her native country of Venezuela. 23 years later, they're still in love.
Man who set himself on fire outside Trump trial dies of injuries, police say
A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former U.S. President Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said.
Verdun Airbnb listing taken down amid complaints, fines and frustration from neighbours
An Airbnb in Montreal's Verdun borough was the source of much frustration from neighbours who say there were constant parties at the location. It has been taken down from the app, but housing advocates remain upset about short-term rentals.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
Fire in Labrador town under control, officials tells residents to stay away
RCMP say the fire that prompted a state of emergency in a Labrador town is now under control.
12 students and teacher killed in Columbine school shooting remembered at 25th anniversary vigil
Thirteen victims of the Columbine High School shooting were remembered during a vigil Friday on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the shooting that was the worst the nation had seen at the time.
Israeli airstrike in southern Gaza city of Rafah kills at least 9 Palestinians, including 6 children
An Israeli airstrike on a house in Gaza's southernmost city killed at least nine people, six of them children, hospital authorities said Saturday, as Israel pursued its nearly seven-month offensive in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
Iraq investigates a blast at a base of Iran-allied militias that killed 1. U.S. denies involvement
Iraqi authorities said Saturday that they were investigating an explosion that struck a base belonging to the Popular Mobilization Forces, a coalition of Iran-allied militias, killing one person and injuring eight.