Canadian killer sentenced to life imprisonment for quadruple murder

Warning: This story contains details that readers may find disturbing.

The murders and subsequent trial sent shockwaves through Canada’s indigenous community, which has long struggled with cases of violence against women.

The victims are Morgan Harris (39), Marcedes Myran (26) and Rebecca Contois (24). The fourth woman has yet to be identified; indigenous elders named her Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, which means buffalo woman.

Throughout the trial, a buffalo head on a red cloth lay on a table near the prosecutors in memory of the still unidentified victim.

The remains of two victims are said to still be lying in a landfill in Winnipeg. After months of pressure from the families, an official search has been scheduled for this fall.

According to court documents, Skibicki killed the women between March and May 2022; the last victim is believed to have been Ms. Contois.

He met at least two of them in homeless shelters in Winnipeg, a city of 820,000 in the prairie province.

During the trial, the court learned that Skibicki had attacked, strangled or drowned the women and then performed sexual acts on them before dismembering their bodies and disposing of them in garbage cans.

The murders remained undiscovered for months until May 2022, when a man searching for scrap metal in a bin outside Skibicki’s apartment found partial human remains and called the police.

The killer shocked police by confessing to three more murders during his interrogation about Ms Contois’ death.

Skibicki’s lawyers argued that he was unaware of the seriousness of his crimes due to delusions caused by schizophrenia. They argued that he heard voices telling him the crimes were part of a mission from God.

He will be eligible for parole after 25 years at the earliest, when he is at least 60 years old.

“Make no mistake, Mr. Skibicki. Given the current legal situation, the only sentence I can impose today will unfortunately not adequately reflect the seriousness of these crimes,” said Judge Glen Joyal.

The women, the judge said, were “the target of a white racist who was pursuing his murderous necrophilia.”

Several family members and representatives of First Nation communities submitted impact statements to the court.

“Mr. Skibicki’s heinous crimes have left deep scars on First Nations people and the repercussions of his actions will be felt for generations to come,” said Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs.

“Despite overwhelming challenges, the community remains resilient.”