The father of a suspected B.C. killer has now seen a video his son made shortly before his death in August.
Alan Schmegelsky had hired a lawyer to help him gain access to a video his son, Bryer Schemegelsky of Port Alberni, reportedly made before he and his friend Kam McLeod died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds in the bush near Gillam, Man. Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and McLeod, 19, led RCMP on a Canada-wide search for two weeks after they were charged with second-degree murder of a Vancouver university professor and suspected in the homicides of two international tourists鈥攁ll occurring in northern B.C.
Schmegelsky and McLeod鈥檚 bodies were found nine kilometres away from where a stolen vehicle they had been driving was burned. They had reportedly been alive for some time after being spotted in Gillam.
News of the cellphone video was made public in late August.
Star Vancouver reported that some family members were shown a 30-second clip of a video the two young men recorded before their deaths. The clip was apparently a 鈥済oodbye鈥�, and a last will and testament detailing the young men鈥檚 wishes for their remains.
Alan Schmegelsky鈥檚 lawyer, Sarah Leamon, tweeted the news this afternoon that her client was able to view the video.
鈥淚 am pleased to have reached an agreement with the RCMP, through extensive negotiation, which balances the integrity of the on-going investigation with my clients rights as a father. Thank you for all the support,鈥� she wrote.
Alan Schmegelsky has reportedly had to sign a non-disclosure form and is not permitted to discuss the contents of the video. He was not given a copy of the video, Leamon told CBC.
RCMP confirmed in an e-mail to Leamon in late August that both Bryer Schemegelsky and McLeod had left a cellphone video before they died, but they refused to allow Alan Schmegelsky to watch the video.
鈥淭he 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, who is dealing with this as the body has been released to her,鈥� the e-mail noted.
Leamon tweeted at the time that Alan Schmegelsky 鈥渋s just like any other father. He has lost his son under unimaginable circumstances. He should be afforded with the opportunity to view his sons (sic) last will & testament in peace so that he may find some degree of closure in this very difficult time.鈥�
The RCMP have not released the video nor acknowledged its existence publicly. More information on the investigation surrounding the three murders and the Canada-wide manhunt will be forthcoming, the RCMP have said, but they haven鈥檛 said when that will happen.
susie.quinn@albernivalleynews.com
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