Father of northern B.C. murder suspect Bryer Schmegelsky views clip of son’s will

Father of northern B.C. murder suspect Bryer Schmegelsky views clip of son's will
File photo
Al Schmegelsky speaks to CHEK in July after his son was named a suspect.

The father of one of the two Port Alberni men who allegedly killed three people in northern B.C. has now seen a part of a video his son recorded before apparently taking his own life.

Al Schmegelsky’s lawyer Sarah Leamon said RCMP provided the Vancouver Island man with an opportunity to view a 30-second clip Thursday of a recording described as Bryer Schmegelsky’s “last will and testament.”
Leamon said she and her client were allowed to watch the video after signing a non-disclosure agreement with police.

The deal prevents Leamon and Al from discussing the content of the recording or even whether it was part of a longer recording that Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19, recorded before dying of what appeared to be suicide by gunfire.

Bryer and Kam’s bodies were found on Aug. 7 near the Nelson River in northern Manitoba. The discovery came after a 15-day search, which started after the murders of Australian Lucas Fowler, American Chynna Deese and University of British Columbia lecturer Leonard Dyck.

Fowler and Deese were shot on July 14 or 15 at the side of the Alaska Highway near Liard Hot Springs in northern B.C. Dyck’s body was found four days later in a highway pullout near Dease Lake, about 500 kilometres to the west.

The truck Schmegelsky and McLeod were reportedly driving to Whitehouse was found on fire nearby. The pair were originally reported to be missing but were later named suspects.

RCMP focused the search on northern Manitoba, a RAV4 was found burning near the community of Gillam, eight kilometres from the spot where the two 19-year-olds would be found dead.

The existence of a final video has been reported, but RCMP have yet to discuss its contents.

In an earlier letter to Leamon, police said the video “has to do with how Bryer wanted his body dealt with after death and that information was passed on to his mother, the next of kin.”

Leamon said Al did not receive a copy of the video. He watched it in a private room with Leamon present.

“My client was very emotional, as you would expect. It was an emotional experience for him. It was not an easy thing to go through,” Leamon said.

With files from Jason Proctor, CBC and The Canadian Press

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