Some stories on InFocus are more difficult to tell than others – this episode falls into that category.
The stories we’ve heard from families across Canada have come to a head these past few weeks in Winnipeg.
That’s where police recently informed the public that homicide detectives had arrested an alleged serial killer.
Four Indigenous women – Morgan Harris, Rebecca Contois, Marcedes Myran and a fourth APTN News is calling Buffalo Woman (Mashkode Bizhiki’ikw) – are believed to be victims; the remains of two are likely in a private landfill outside the city, and lastly, and most disturbing to many, police say they won’t search for them.
At least 11 Indigenous women have been murdered in Winnipeg in 2022, according to Statistics Canada.
Police arrested Jeremy Skibicki in May 2022 and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with the death of Contois, whose partial remains were found in the city’s Brady landfill site.
Police at the time said they had reason to believe there could be more victims.
Fast forward to December 2022, and police announce Skibicki has been charged with three more counts of first-degree murder for the deaths of Harris, Myren and Buffalo woman.
Skibicki is in custody and has said he is not guilty.
Police told the families and reporters that searching Prairie Green isn’t feasible because too much time has passed and too much garbage has been disposed of at the site.
Indigenous leaders and advocates called on police to do a search anyway and said police Chief Danny Smyth should step down.
Prairie Green, a privately owned landfill, agreed to pause operations while a decision is made on what to do next.
Today Host Darrell Stranger puts the ongoing story InFocus.
