Jeremy Skibicki a Canadian man is accused of killing four Indigenous women
Jeremy Skibicki, a Canadian man who was previously charged with the murder of an Indigenous woman, is now accused of murdering three more women, two of whom are verified to be Indigenous and one of whom is suspected to be.
Skibicki was arrested on May 18 after the partial remains of Rebecca Contois, 24, were discovered in a garbage bin near an apartment complex. Contois was born in Winnipeg but belonged to the O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, also known as Crane River.
Related Article
At the time, the police stated that they were not ruling out the possibility of further victims. Skibicki was charged with first-degree murder in three other killings that occurred during the same time period in the spring, authorities said on Thursday.
According to the police, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39, were killed in the first week of May. Both women belonged to the Long Plain First Nation and resided in Winnipeg.
A fourth woman, unidentified but assumed to be Indigenous, is thought to have been killed on or around March 15th, according to police. They published a picture of a jacket that looked like the one she was wearing.
“It’s always unsettling whenever there is any kind of serial killing,” Winnipeg police chief Danny Smyth said. “It does involve Indigenous women. We’re very sensitive to the whole missing and murdered Indigenous women investigation and inquiry and the recommendations that came out of that.”
Police have revealed little details regarding their inquiry, but have stated that they have no leads on any more potential victims.
“I’m not sure if they were particularly targeted, but the victims in this are certainly all Indigenous women,” Smyth said.
Authorities have not recovered the bodies of the other three victims, according to Smyth, but they have enough evidence to charge Skibicki with first-degree murder.
He declined to provide any information because the investigation is still ongoing.
“We have a lot more work to do to defend Indigenous women and girls’ lives,” Winnipeg mayor Scott Gillingham said.
“Right now, far too many individuals are experiencing homelessness, addiction, and poverty, putting him in vulnerable positions.”
