UPDATE: The RCMP says Port Alberni teens Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky may have "inadvertently" received assistance in leaving the Gillam, Man., area.
"There have been no confirmed sightings outside of the Gillam area, however we remain open to the possibility," Cpl. Julie Courchaine said at a news conference Friday.
McLeod and Schmegelsky may have changed their appearance, Courchaine said. "It is possible that someone may not have been aware of who they were providing assistance to, and may now be hesitant to come forward. I want to reiterate the importance of contacting police immediately."
Futher updates will be posted here.
McLeod, 19, and Schmegelsky, 18, were last seen Monday, before the discovery of a Toyota Rav4 in which they were reportedly travelling. The vehicle was found on fire near the Fox Lake Cree Nation reserve north of Gillam.
Courchaine said Thursday there had been no reports of stolen vehicles in the area that could be attributed to the teens.
Manitoba RCMP have set up a highway check-stop and flooded the area with officers in what has become a nation-wide manhunt for the suspects.
The force’s major crime unit, emergency response team, crisis negotiation team, police dogs and aircraft have been deployed to assist with the search.
Courchaine was unable to quantify the number of people involved or provide specifics on where police are searching.
“This is a large area,” she said. “There’s lots of dense bush, forest, swampy areas, so it is very challenging.”
Police have received more than 80 tips in 48 hours and urged the public to remain on the lookout for the teens.
“If they are spotted, do not approach,” Courchaine said. “Call 911 or your local police immediately.”
Gillam is located 730 kilometres north of Winnipeg and has a population of about 1,265 people.
McLeod and Schmegelsky have been charged with second-degree murder in the death of 64-year-old Leonard Dyck of Vancouver.
Dyck’s body was found at a highway pullout, two kilometres from where the teens’ burned-out Dodge camper truck was found on Highway 37 near Dease Lake July 19.
The pair remain suspects in the killings of 23-year-old Lucas Fowler of Sydney, Australia, and 24-year-old Chynna Deese of Charlotte, North Carolina.
The bodies were discovered July 15 beside the Alaska Highway, 20 kilometers south of Liard Hot Springs. RCMP say the couple had been shot.
Fowler and Deese had been exploring northern B.C. in Fowler’s 1986 blue Chevrolet van with Alberta licence plates, which was found at the scene.
