Manitoba

Charges dropped in St-Georges double homicide

Charges have been dropped against a man recently accused of killing two people in St-Georges, Man., a court official says.

2nd-degree murder charges against Jason Andrew Bruyere stayed Friday, court official says

Steven Chevrefils, left, and Jody Brown are remembered as having good hearts and being generous to their friends. (Submitted)

Charges have been dropped against a man recently accused of killing two people in St-Georges, Man., a court official says.

Jody Brown, 43, and Steven Chevrefils, 35, were found dead on Feb. 28 inside the St-Georges home where they both lived.

Manitoba RCMP said their deaths were the result of a targeted shooting.

On Thursday, police arrested 26-year-old Jason Andrew Bruyere on second-degree murder charges and weapons offences.

On Friday, the Crown stayed all the charges.

Neighbour traumatized

A neighbour of the victims, Jamie McMullen, said the murder scene was overwhelming. 

RCMP taped off this house in St-Georges, Man., where Jody Brown, 43, and Steven Chevrefils, 35, were found dead early Tuesday morning. (Gary Solilak/CBC)

The 62-year-old said a woman asking for help started banging on his door at 2 a.m. CT last Tuesday.

When he went next door to check on his neighbours, McMullen said he found Brown lying face down in the basement and Chevrefils lying face down in the kitchen.

"I seen two people that I knew that were ... in trouble," McMullen said, adding the amount of blood at the scene left him traumatized. "I got this vision implanted in my head for the rest of my life."

McMullen said all of the neighbours in the small community, located 100 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg, are struggling following the double homicide.

"I don't know how anybody can do what they did and get up the next morning and exist," McMullen said. "How could anybody do that?"

Brown's funeral will take place Thursday, while Chevrefils' will be held Saturday.

with files from Radio Canada's Denis-Michel Thibeault