Two fugitive teens found dead after hunt for killers of backpacker couple in rural Canada

TWO bodies, believed to belong to fugitive teenagers, have been found dead during a hunt for the killers of a backpacker couple in rural Canada.

Police have linked the two bodies to Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, who were charged with killing a university lecturer and suspected in the murders of two tourists.

The bodies were discovered Wednesday morning at around 10am local time in dense brush, approximately a kilometre from where items linked to the fugitives were found along the Nelson River.

Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy, commanding officer of the Manitoba RCMP, said: "At this time, we believe that these are the bodies of the two suspects wanted in connection with the homicides in British Columbia."

An autopsy will take place in Winnipeg to confirm the identities and determine the cause of death, reported CBC News.

NATIONWIDE MANHUNT

The pair have been the focus of a cross-Canada search by police for more than two weeks.

Last month, Schmegelsky's burning car was found dumped near a lake, sparking a nationwide manhunt for the teenagers.

Detectives also found the body of an unidentified man roughly a mile from the devastated vehicle.

Both finds were about 300 miles away from the spot where 24-year-old American Chynna Deese and 23-year-old Australian Lucas Fowler were found shot dead a week ago.

Chynna and Lucas were shot dead on a highway 1,000 miles from a notorious road where 50 women were murdered or vanished – sparking fears a serial killer is on the loose.

They were last seen by the side of their broken down blue minivan about 15 miles south of Liard Hot Springs on July 20.

Their bodies were discovered at 7am the next day.

Chynna, who had recently graduated from Appalachian State University, was originally from North Carolina.

She had been travelling the world with Aussie national Lucas, who was working on a ranch in Canada before embarking on the trip.

'BRIGHT AND BEAUTIFUL SOULS'

Chynna's devastated older brother paid tribute on Facebook, saying: "24 hours ago I found out why my little sister didn't text me back. Chynna and Lucas' lives were abruptly taken from a random act of violence while starting their road trip through Canada."

Her sister also released an emotional statement saying she had been left "heartbroken" by their deaths and described the couple as "bright and beautiful souls"

Lucas' family, from Sydney, released a statement saying: "To lose someone so young and vibrant, who was travelling the world and just enjoying life to the full, is devastating.

"To know his beautiful girlfriend also lost her life in this violent event is too cruel."

HIGHWAY OF TEARS

The 450-mile stretch is north of the road chillingly dubbed the Highway of Tears – with up to 50 women vanishing or being murdered there since 1970.

Terrified locals now believed a serial killer is on the loose – after three women died or disappeared in 2018.

The remote stretch of road was given the grisly nickname after a string of women were discovered in shallow graves or simply vanished without a trace.

Signs along the Highway 16, between Prince George and Prince Rupert, warn of a serial killer on the loose – cautioning girls not to hitchhike.

But many of the missing belong to remote indigenous communities, who are forced to hitchhike as they have little or no transport or phone coverage.

A shocking 2014 report by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police identified 1,049 murdered and 172 missing aboriginal women dating back to 1980.

GRUESOME KILLINGS

The first killing was in 1969 when the body of 26-year-old Gloria Moody was found after she failed to return home from a bar.

Six years later, Monica Igna, 15, was found in a gravel pit, and in 1988 Alberta Williams turned up dead one month after being reported missing.

In 1994, the bodies of three indigenous teenagers were found dumped by the roadside.

Just last year, three women were murdered or went missing while on the road in British Columbia.

Chantelle Catherine Simpson, 34, was last seen in Terrace on July 4 before her abandoned car was found the following day.

Two weeks later, her body was discovered in Skeena River but a cause of death was not revealed to the public.

Jessica Patrick, 18, then vanished just three weeks later after last being seen at a McDonald's along the highway. Her remains were found down a steep embankment on September 15.

On December 23, 50-year-old Cynthia Martin disappeared from nearby Hazelton and has not been seen since.

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