Second Victim Identified in Winnipeg Landfill Case
Canadian authorities have confirmed the identity of a second victim whose remains were discovered at a private landfill near Winnipeg. This development comes as part of an investigation into a serial killer who targeted Indigenous women.
Identification of Marcedes Myran
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Manitoba announced on Monday that the human remains found at the Prairie Green Landfill, north of Winnipeg, belong to Marcedes Myran, 26. Her family has been notified, and the Manitoba government continues to request respect for their privacy.
Myran, a member of the Long Plain First Nation, was murdered in 2022 by Jeremy Skibicki. Skibicki received a life sentence in July 2024 after being convicted of first-degree murder in the deaths of four women. The judge described the crimes as “jarring and numbing.”
Background and Initial Discovery
Last week, police identified the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, which were also found at the Prairie Green Landfill.
The discoveries followed a change in course by local officials, who initiated a large-scale search operation after initially citing the high cost of examining the landfill, where much of the refuse is buried under layers of clay.
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The remains of a third victim, Rebecca Contois, from the Crane River First Nation, were found in a dumpster near Skibicki’s residence in 2022.
Ongoing Search Efforts
- Investigators continue to search for the remains of Skibicki’s fourth victim, an unidentified woman known as Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman).
- Police initially suggested in 2022 that recovery efforts at the landfill would be too difficult, sparking outrage from family members.
Cambria Harris, Morgan’s daughter, stated at the time, “They keep saying it comes down to feasibility. But it doesn’t come down to feasibility when it’s about human beings and bringing these people home.” After meeting with former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, she emphasized the urgency of the situation.
Political and Public Response
Former Progressive Conservative premier of the province, Heather Stefanson, defended the initial decision not to search the landfill in 2023, stating that whilst she sympathised with the families, the decision was supported by the fact that such a search would be too costly and hazardous.
At the time, the federal Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller, condemned the decision as “heartless” and called for a search.
The issue of searching the landfill became a significant topic during the 2023 provincial election, with New Democratic Party leader Wab Kinew campaigning on this promise. After winning a majority government, the federal government pledged C$40 million to assist in the search for the victims.
When the positive identification of Harris’s remains was first announced, Kinew commended the family members for their advocacy.
Search Operations Underway
Excavation at the privately operated landfill began in December, with teams manually sorting through approximately 20,300 cubic meters of material.
- A large heated steel structure was constructed so teams could manually sift through wet material.
- Of the 45 search technicians hired, which includes family liaisons, a forensic anthropologist, a health and safety officer, and a director of operations, half are Indigenous.
Kinew stated that the search effort represents “a microcosm of where we’re at as a country … people from different walks of life coming together to try to do the right thing for these families.”