John Paul Ostamas of Eabametoong First Nation charged with murder in Winnipeg homeless homicides
Ostamas also charged with 2nd-degree murder in fatal bus shelter assault
Police have charged a man from Eabametoong First Nation with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two homeless men over the weekend in Winnipeg.
The suspect, identified by police as 39-year-old John Paul Ostamas, was also charged with second-degree murder in the death of a man who was assaulted in a bus shelter in Winnipeg in early April. The victim later died in hospital.
The double homicide happened on Saturday in Winnipeg's downtown area.
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Police said Ostamas met Donald Collins, 65, in the downtown area Saturday evening and went to a laneway, where Collins was attacked and left for dead.
Several hours later, Ostamas met Stony Bushie, 48, also in the downtown area, and went to a parkade, where Bushie was attacked and left for dead, according to police.
One of the victims was homeless, the other spent a lot of time on the streets, police said.
Suspect 'moved around'
Winnipeg police describe Ostamas in a press release as "very transient." They said he is originally from the Thunder Bay area and spent time in Winnipeg on and off for the past 10 years.
Ostamas lived in Eabametoong First Nation (Fort Hope), a community about 350 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, for the first seven years of his life, according to his lawyer Greg Brodsky. He then "moved around," Brodsky said.
Charlie O'Keese, a band councillor from Eabametoong First Nation, confirmed that Ostamas is a band member.
Investigators have since learned that Ostamas has a violent past of multiple assaults in the Thunder Bay area dating back to 2002. Winnipeg police said they will be contacting their counterparts in other jurisdictions where Ostamas is known to have travelled.
It is not clear if Ostamas is involved in any other unsolved crimes at this time, police said.
Ostamas had little contact with Winnipeg police prior to the investigation, except for a domestic assault in March, police said.
Person of interest
The weekend double homicide — in which the victims were described by police as "brutally killed" — prompted police to warn those who spend time on the street to be vigilant, stay away from secluded areas and stick with others if possible.
On Sunday, police released the photos of a man who they say was in the area during the times of the homicides and "could have very valuable information."
On Tuesday morning, police said they had a suspect in custody. Until then, they had refrained from calling anyone a suspect, referring to them only as persons of interest.
In addition to the two first-degree murders, Ostamas also faces a second-degree murder charge, which stemmed from what police described as a "chance encounter." Ostamas met Myles Monias, 37, in a bus shelter in Winnipeg in the early morning hours on April 10. Ostamas attacked Monias and left him for dead, police said.