Families of 3 slain First Nations women call for landfill search as admitted serial killer's trial ends

The families of three First Nations women are speaking out after the Winnipeg trial of an admitted serial killer accused of four counts of first-degree murder concluded on Monday. 

The family members of Rebecca Contois, 24, Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, said it's been a long, emotional and difficult past few months leading up to the trial in addition to hearing and witnessing the most horrific details in court. 

The trial of Jeremy Skibicki, 37, took place in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench over a period of six weeks, with Chief Justice Glenn Joyal presiding.

Skibicki admitted to killing the three First Nations women, as well as a fourth as-yet unidentified woman who has been given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, by community leaders. 

Police have said they believe she was in her 20s and was Indigenous.

Defence lawyers argued Skibicki should be found not criminally responsible for the killings because of a mental disorder, while the prosecutor said "nothing could be further from the truth, or the inescapable conclusion that all of these murders were planned and deliberate and committed in the course of forcible confinement and sexual assault." 

Cambria Harris, who is the daughter of Morgan Harris, was the first to speak at the press conference, which was held at the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs Offices on Monday. 

"I will say that the last couple of months have been probably the hardest months that I've ever had to go through in my life," Harris said. 

"We've grieved in front of the world essentially when we didn't have to, but we did it because we wanted to see justice, and not only justice for my mom, but justice for these three other women."

The fight to search the Prairie Green landfill was paused while the families attended trial, Harris said, but now as they await the final verdict, they are ready to start pushing forward with the search. 

She said Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew called the families on Friday to ask whether they would like to have a lunch and ceremony on Tuesday to discuss the next steps on the landfill search. 

"I can only hope that this is one step closer to bringing my mom home and so I am keeping my hopes up for that," Harris said. 

Kinew confirmed he would be meeting with the families during a news conference with other premiers in Whitehorse on Monday. 

"Because I respect the families first, the first news that I will share regarding the Prairie Green landfill search will be with those families directly," he said. "Once we have had those conversations tomorrow, we will have a significant update for the public about the next steps in that process."

Families seek date for landfill search

Melissa Robinson, a cousin of Morgan Harris, said she is unsure why the premier didn't schedule a meeting with the families before the trial began, so they could have been further ahead on getting the search started. 

She said the families are demanding that the province set a date for the search during Tuesday's meeting. 

"This is not something we ever should have had to have gone through," Robinson said. "The work should have been done properly. Operations could have been halted and we wouldn't be sitting here two years later."

The partial remains of Contois were found in a North Kildonan back lane garbage bin and at the city-run Brady Road landfill in 2022. It's believed the remains of Harris and Myran are at Prairie Green, a privately owned landfill outside of the city.

Contois was a member of O-Chi-Chak-Ko-Sipi First Nation, also known as Crane River, located on the western shore of Lake Manitoba. Harris and Myran were both members of Long Plain First Nation in south central Manitoba. All three women were living in Winnipeg at the time of their death. 

The provincial and federal governments each pledged $20 million earlier this year to search the Prairie Green landfill.

Elle and Kera Harris, daughters of Morgan Harris, echoed statements from their sister Cambria about bringing their mother and the other three women the justice they deserve.  

"Even though court may be over, the search will be happening and after the search, we are not disappearing. We are still going to stand our ground. We're still going to fight for women," Elle said. 

Long road of healing ahead

Travis Barsy, who spoke on behalf of the Contois family, said the families continue to experience lots of grief and pain. They have a long road of healing ahead, he said. 

Barsy shared the sentiment that the landfill search is not a recommendation, but an obligation and there should be "no more excuses."

A few of the family members, along with Grand Chief Cathy Merrick of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs, said it was disheartening that the fourth victim, Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, remains unidentified by police. 

"As we reflect on the conclusion of the trial and the impeding verdict, it is important to remember that the pursuit of justice does not end in that courtroom," Merrick said. "The conclusion of this trial is just one chapter in a much larger story for our missing and murdered Indigenous women and two-spirited people."

Merrick is urging law enforcement, and the provincial and federal governments to search the landfill and commit to changing how investigations of First Nations women are conducted when they go missing in Manitoba. 

"We should not have to go to media for them to tell our story," she said.

"A garbage dump is not a gravesite. A garbage dump is a garbage dump and our women do not belong there and they never belong there because our women deserve better."

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.