Family members of women killed by Winnipeg serial killer to address court

Families and supporters of four Indigenous women who died at the hands of a serial killer are expected to address the man for the first time today in a Winnipeg courtroom.

A judge convicted Jeremy Skibicki last month of first-degree murder in the 2022 slayings, which put another spotlight on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.

A first-degree murder conviction carries an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

During the sentencing hearing, families of the women will get a chance to provide victim impact statements.

An Indigenous advocacy organization is also expected to present a statement on behalf of the Indigenous community, after it travelled to various Manitoba locations to hear from members.

The trial heard Skibicki targeted the women at homeless shelters, then strangled or drowned them before disposing of their remains in garbage bins.

The killings came to light when a man looking for scrap metal found the partial remains of 24-year-old Rebecca Contois in a dumpster in Skibicki's neighbourhood. More of her remains were discovered at a city-run landfill.

During a police interrogation, Skibicki admitted to killing Contois and the three other women: Morgan Harris, 39; Marcedes Myran, 26; and an unidentified woman an Indigenous grassroots community has named Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

Skibicki told police the killings were racially motivated and cited white supremacist beliefs.

At trial, a defence lawyer said Skibicki admitted to the killings but was too mentally ill to be held criminally responsible.

Court of King's Bench Justice Glenn Joyal said he agreed with a psychiatrist who testified for the Crown that Skibicki didn't have a mental disorder that affected his ability to know the killings were morally wrong.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 28, 2024.