Winnipeg police chief says he advocated for landfill search for remains of murdered women

CBC

13-06-2025

Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers says he advocated for a landfill search when of the police service was deliberating whether to conduct excavations to locate the remains of two First Nations women murdered by a serial killer.
Bowers, who was sworn in as police chief in March, said Friday that when he served as deputy chief in charge of investigations for the Winnipeg Police Service, he spoke in favour of searching the Prairie Green landfill north of Winnipeg for the remains of Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris.
Myran, 26, and Harris, 39, were originally from Long Plain First Nation, west of Winnipeg. They were among four First Nations women murdered by serial killer Jeremy Skibicki in early 2022.
The police service opted not to conduct a search at Prairie Green after investigators concluded in 2022 that the remains of the two women were transported to the privately run landfill.
The remains of both Harris and Myran were located in the landfill in March 2025, following a search commissioned by the provincial NDP government.
In response to a question about his role in the decision making about the search, Bowers said he always supported it.
"There was a voice at the table that thought that we should search," he said, clarifying he was that voice.
"There were other things to consider regarding that. Obviously, that wasn't what occurred, but the service as a whole has always been supportive of a humanitarian search for the remains, and that is something that I've been involved with."
Skibicki was convicted in July 2024 of four counts of first-degree murder in the killings of Myran, Harris, Rebecca Contois — a 24-year-old member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation — and a then unidentified woman known as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman. She has since been identified as Ashlee Shingoose, a 30-year-old from St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation.
Bowers succeeded former Winnipeg police chief Danny Smyth, who retired from the police service in 2024. Smyth has not responded to requests for comment since the remains of Myran and Harris were located in March.
Bowers said he is committed to advancing reconciliation in Winnipeg and is in the process of hiring an external consultant to advise the police service on reconciliation and other issues related to cultural sensitivities.
Bowers said he has a consultant in mind for the job, but the paperwork has not been signed and he cannot divulge a budget for the sole-sourced contract.
Bowers said among other tasks, the consultant will assist the service with collecting race-based data involving police interactions. Social activists have requested the police collect this data, especially when it pertains to the use of force.