Latest news with #Contois
Winnipeg Free Press
29-04-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Son's slaying ‘brought me to my knees'
The senseless slaying of a 31-year-old father of two, who was attacked by two strangers as he rode his bicycle over the Slaw Rebchuk bridge, is the kind of crime that strikes fear in the hearts of Winnipeggers, a judge said Monday. Joseph Evans, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his part in the May 2022 stabbing death of Richard Contois. 'Events like this cause us all to be fearful and suspicious of one another,' Court of King's Bench Justice Theodor Bock said before sentencing Evans to 14 years in prison. 'It diminishes us all and deprives us of the kind of life we want for ourselves and each other – a life that ought to include being able to walk or cycle on the streets of Winnipeg on a springtime evening.' Court heard Contois was riding southbound on the bridge at approximately 10:20 p.m. when he crossed paths with Evans and a 17-year-old male co-accused. There were no witnesses to the ensuing 'altercation' in which Evans was stabbed 12 times in his face, neck, chest and back, Crown attorney Nick Reeves told court, reading from an agreed statement of facts. 'Mr. Evans admits he was responsible for a number of these injuries,' Reeves said. Police officers on patrol came across Contois and he was taken to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Surveillance video captured the two suspects walking onto the bridge together and then off the bridge with Contois's bicycle. Police reviewed additional surveillance that showed them arriving at a Stella Walk residence 20 minutes later, each of them visibly in possession of a knife, Reeves said. RCMP arrested Evans nearly a month later in his home community of Norway House. Questioned by police, Evans said he was present for the attack, but did not admit to stabbing Contois. Evans was originally charged with second-degree murder but in a plea bargain admitted to the lesser offence of manslaughter. Reeves said an autopsy could not confirm more than one knife was used to kill Contois, leaving it open for the defence to argue it was only the youth accused who had stabbed Contois. As well, a fanny pack belonging to Evans, which was seized by police and believed to have held a knife used to stab Contois, contained no DNA linking Evans to the crime. 'Both Mr. Evans and the prosecution had compelling evidence that could lead to an acquittal or a conviction for second-degree murder,' Reeves said. 'The prosecution did not want to risk an acquittal and have Mr. Evans not held responsible for the murder of Mr. Contois. Mr. Evans did not want to risk being convicted of second-degree murder and receiving a life sentence.' Contois's death 'has literally brought me to my knees,' his father told court in a tear-filled victim impact statement. 'You can't put a price on the loss of my son,' Richard Fillion said. 'We were each other's greatest support.' Court heard Evans had been abandoned by his parents when he was an infant and was raised by his grandparents. As a child, he suffered abuse and neglect. As a youth, he abused substances. He has little schooling and no work history. Defence lawyer Saul Simmonds said Evans shows the signs of someone who has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, but no formal diagnosis has been made. 'I am particularly struck by the lack of social supports that seem to be provided to Mr. Evans during his short life,' Bock said. 'It seems easy now to predict that without help and support, Mr. Evans would be at great risk of doing harm to himself or others.' Evans apologized in court to Contois's family, which Bock said he accepted as a genuine sign of remorse. Evans received credit for time served, reducing his remaining sentence to just under 10 years. Charges against the youth co-accused were stayed by the Crown in 2023. Dean PritchardCourts reporter Dean Pritchard is courts reporter for the Free Press. He has covered the justice system since 1999, working for the Brandon Sun and Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in 2019. Read more about Dean. Every piece of reporting Dean produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Yahoo
Name of serial killer victim Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe to be released by police today
WARNING | This story contains details of violence against Indigenous women. Winnipeg police say they will confirm the identity of the unidentified victim of a serial killer at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The news conference will be livestreamed here at 1 p.m. The woman was given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by members of the Indigenous community, since her remains have never been found and she had not been identified. She was among the four Indigenous women murdered by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022, along with Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Rebecca Contois, 24. Police initially said their news conference would focus on their investigation into the unidentified woman's killing, and later said they would confirm the woman's identity. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson, St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation Chief Raymond Flett and Chief Gene Bowers and Deputy Chief Cam Mackid of the Winnipeg Police Service are scheduled to speak at the news conference, police said. The update comes after remains recently found at Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, were confirmed to be those of Harris and Myran, both of whom were originally from Long Plain First Nation. Police have previously declined to say whether they have information about where the remains of Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe are, or whether they may be at Prairie Green or the city-run Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg, where some of the remains of Contois, a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, were found. When asked last week, Premier Wab Kinew did not answer questions about whether a search would continue at Prairie Green landfill in hopes of finding Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe's remains. The province's decision about the future of the landfill search will be made with the families of Harris and Myran, he said. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News last week that the organization will push for a continued search to try to find Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. What do we know about Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe? Very few details about Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe have been made public. During Skibicki's trial last summer, court heard investigators found a DNA sample on a jacket they believe the woman wore, but that sample was never matched to anyone. Skibicki unexpectedly confessed to killing the four women during a police interview in May 2022. He said the unidentified woman was the first he killed, in mid-March 2022. It's believed he killed the other three women between May 1 and May 15. Skibicki said he met her outside the Salvation Army shelter in Winnipeg. There was still snow on the ground at the time, and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions had just been lifted in Manitoba, he told police. Those restrictions were lifted on March 15, 2022. He described the woman as being Indigenous and in her early 20s, with dark patches on her skin, an average build and short hair that didn't go past her neck. Skibicki also said he was coming down from being high on mushrooms when he got upset with the woman after she attempted to steal from him. After killing her, Skibicki said he put the woman's remains into a dumpster behind a business on Henderson Highway. He also gave police the name of a person he believed was the woman he had killed, but that person was later found alive. He said after killing Harris, he returned to that same dumpster with the intention of leaving her remains inside, but it was locked. He said he disposed of Harris's and Myran's remains at another dumpster nearby, which led to their bodies being taken to the Prairie Green landfill. Contois's partial remains were found in garbage bins behind a North Kildonan apartment on May 16, 2022, and later at the Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg. Support is available for anyone affected by these reports and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649. You can also access, through the government of Canada, health support services such as mental health counselling, community-based support and cultural services, and some travel costs to see elders and traditional healers. Family members seeking information about a missing or murdered loved one can access Family Information Liaison Units.
CBC
26-03-2025
- CBC
Name of serial killer victim Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe to be released by police today
Social Sharing WARNING | This story contains details of violence against Indigenous women. Winnipeg police say they will confirm the identity of the unidentified victim of a serial killer at a news conference Wednesday afternoon. The news conference will be livestreamed here at 1 p.m. The woman was given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by members of the Indigenous community, since her remains have never been found and she had not been identified. She was among the four Indigenous women murdered by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022, along with Morgan Harris, 39, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Rebecca Contois, 24. Police initially said their news conference would focus on their investigation into the unidentified woman's killing, and later said they would be confirming the woman's identity. Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew, Winnipeg Mayor Scott Gillingham, Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson, St. Theresa Point Anisininew Nation Chief Raymond Flett and Chief Gene Bowers and Deputy Chief Cam Mackid of the Winnipeg Police Service are scheduled to speak at the news conference, police said. The update comes after remains recently found at Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, were confirmed to be those of Harris and Myran, both originally from Long Plain First Nation. Police have previously declined to say whether they have information about where the remains of Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe are, or whether they may be at Prairie Green or the city-run Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg, where some of the remains of Contois, a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, were found. When asked last week, Premier Wab Kinew did not answer questions about whether a search would continue at Prairie Green landfill in hopes of finding Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe's remains. The province's decision on the future of the landfill search will be made with the families of Harris and Myran, he said. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News last week that the organization will push for a continued search to try to find Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. Support is available for anyone affected by these reports and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649. You can also access, through the government of Canada, health support services such as mental health counselling, community-based support and cultural services, and some travel costs to see elders and traditional healers. Family members seeking information about a missing or murdered loved one can access Family Information Liaison Units.
CBC
25-03-2025
- CBC
Police to give update on Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, unidentified victim of Winnipeg serial killer
WARNING | This story contains details of violence against Indigenous women. Winnipeg police say they'll provide an update Wednesday on their investigation into the murder of a still-unidentified Indigenous woman by a serial killer three years ago. The woman was given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, since her remains have never been found and she has yet to be identified. She was among the four Indigenous women murdered by Jeremy Skibicki in 2022, along with Morgan Harris, 29, Marcedes Myran, 26, and Rebecca Contois, 24. Police said their 1 p.m. Wednesday news conference will focus on their investigation into the unidentified woman's killing, but did not go into further detail. The news conference will be livestreamed at The update comes after remains recently found at Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, were confirmed to be those of Harris and Myran, both of whom were originally from Long Plain First Nation. Police have previously declined to comment on whether they have information about where the remains of Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe are, or whether they may be at Prairie Green or the city-run Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg, where some of remains of Contois, a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, were found. When asked last week, Premier Wab Kinew did not answer questions on whether a search would continue at Prairie Green landfill in hopes of finding Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe's remains. The province's decision on the future of the landfill search, which began excavations in December, will be made with the families of Harris and Myran, he said. Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Grand Chief Kyra Wilson told CBC News last week that the organization will push for a continued search to try to find Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe. What do we know about Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe? Very few details about Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe have been made public. DNA tests on a jacket it's believed she wore were not enough to identify the woman, court heard during Skibicki's trial last summer, which led to his conviction on four counts of first-degree murder. Court heard that during a May 2022 police interview, he confessed to killing the four women. He said the unidentified woman was the first he killed, in mid-March 2022. It's believed he killed the other three women between May 1 and May 15. Skibicki said he met her outside the Salvation Army shelter in Winnipeg. There was still snow on the ground at the time, and COVID-19 pandemic restrictions had just been lifted in Manitoba, he told police. Those restrictions were lifted on March 15, 2022. He described the woman as being Indigenous and in her early 20s, with dark patches on her skin, an average build, and short hair that didn't go past her neck. Skibicki also said he was coming down from being high on mushrooms when he got upset with the woman after she attempted to steal from him. After killing her, Skibicki said he put the woman's remains into a dumpster behind a business on Henderson Highway. He also gave police the name of a person he believed was the woman he had killed, but that person was later found alive. He said after killing Harris, he returned to that same dumpster with the intention of leaving her remains inside, but it was locked. He said he disposed of Harris and Myran's remains at another dumpster nearby, which led to their bodies being taken to the Prairie Green landfill. Contois's partial remains were found in garbage bins behind a North Kildonan apartment on May 16, 2022. That's also the day police say they believe the remains of Harris and Myran were transported to Prairie Green. Support is available for anyone affected by these reports and the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous people. Immediate emotional assistance and crisis support are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week through a national hotline at 1-844-413-6649.
