Recruitment begins for Winnipeg-area landfill search for women's remains

Recruitment has begun for people to help search a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women murdered by a serial killer, the Manitoba government says.

The province is partnering with the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs to hire people to search at the Prairie Green landfill, north of Winnipeg, for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran beginning later this year.

There are multiple full-time and part-time positions to be filled in the roles of general search technicians, forensic anthropology search technicians and forensic anthropology search assistants, the government said in a news release Wednesday.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, an advocacy group that represents First Nations in the province, will oversee recruitment for general search technicians, while the province will provide funding, the release said.

The remains of Harris, 39, and Myran, 26, both members of Long Plain First Nation, are believed to have been taken to the landfill after the women were murdered by Jeremy Skibicki in the spring of 2022.

Skibicki, 37, was convicted earlier this year of four counts of first-degree murder in their deaths, as well as the killings of Rebecca Contois, 24, and an unidentified woman who has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by community leaders.

The remains of Contois, who was from O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, also known as Crane River, were found in garbage bins near Skibicki's apartment and at the Brady Road landfill in Winnipeg in 2022.

While court determined based on the evidence at Skibicki's trial the woman known as Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe was also Indigenous, it's still unknown where her remains are.

'Vital step towards healing': late grand chief

Premier Wab Kinew, who is also the provincial minister for Indigenous reconciliation, encouraged people to apply for the landfill search positions, noting that while the jobs will be difficult and "require emotional intelligence and compassion," the women "deserve a dignified final resting place."

The province's release also included remarks from Cathy Merrick, the late grand chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, that were written before she died suddenly earlier this month. 

Merrick, who was heavily involved in the push to search for the women's remains, said her organization was "deeply committed" to working with the women's families to hire skilled search technicians and ensure the "safe and respectful return" of their remains.

The "significance of this work cannot be overstated," Merrick wrote, saying the recruitment process for the search marks a "vital step towards healing" for the affected families, nations and communities.

Those efforts will continue to be guided by a First Nations-led approach to ensure the remains "are brought home and honoured in ceremony with the respect and dignity they so rightfully deserve," she said.

Family, community encouraged to apply

Applicants for the general search technician roles aren't expected to have extensive experience in the area, the release said, and family and community members who want to help with the search are encouraged to apply.

Everyone hired for the roles will get specialized training, and people hired as general search technicians will report directly to forensic anthropology search team leaders, the release said. 

However, the roles of forensic anthropology search technicians and assistants are specialized positions that require specific education and experience.

The search will involve two teams led by forensic anthropology search technicians and a forensic anthropologist/search director, and will involve team members with "varying degrees of experience."

While everyone is encouraged to apply, first consideration will be given to Indigenous people, the release said. Emotional support will also be available for those hired, given the nature of the work.

Full job postings and instructions on how to apply for the specialized positions are available on the province's website, while information on the general search technician roles is on the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs' website.