PORT ALBERNI, B.C.—Authorities have charged the two young men being sought in a Canada-wide manhunt with one count each of second-degree murder and named the previously unidentified victim.

RCMP on Wednesday night identified the man found dead Friday near a vehicle fire on B.C.’s Highway 37 as Leonard Dyck of Vancouver.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, had previously been named as suspects in the grisly slaying of a pair of tourists, and in the suspicious death in northern B.C. As a result of the charges, Canada-wide warrants have been issued for McLeod and Schmegelsky. The pair have yet to be charged in the deaths of the tourists.

In a statement, Dyck’s family said the sudden and tragic loss had left them heartbroken.

“He was a loving husband and father. His death has created unthinkable grief and we are struggling to understand what has happened,” the statement read.

The University of British Columbia also released a statement Wednesday night confirming that Dyck was a sessional lecturer in the department of botany at UBC.

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“The UBC community is shocked and saddened by this news and we offer our deepest condolences to Mr. Dyck’s family, friends and his colleagues at the university,” read the statement.

Earlier on Wednesday, the father of one of the suspects grimly predicted the manhunt currently underway will end in a tragic confrontation with police — which his son will not survive.

Police said Tuesday they have “reason to believe” that McLeod and Schmegelsky are in Gillam, Man. RCMP confirmed at a news conference Wednesday that a burned out vehicle found in Gillam Monday — a Toyota RAV4 — was the same one the suspects had been seen travelling in. RCMP say the two should be considered dangerous and asked the public to call 911 if they are spotted.

In an interview with The Canadian Press Wednesday, Alan Schmegelsky said he believes his son is on a “suicide mission.”

“He wants his pain to end,” Alan said, breaking down into tears. “Basically, he’s going to be dead today or tomorrow. I know that. Rest in peace, Bryer. I love you. I’m so sorry all this had to happen.”

Even if his son is caught, his life will be over, Alan said. “He wants his hurt to end. They’re going to go out in a blaze of glory. Trust me on this. That’s what they’re going to do.”

In a statement released to media Wednesday, Kam McLeod’s father, Keith McLeod, described his son as “a kind, considerate, and caring young man” who has “always been concerned about other people’s feelings.”

“As we are trapped in our homes due to media people, we try to wrap our heads around what is happening and hope that Kam will come home to us safely so we can get to the bottom of this story,” he said.

Meanwhile, the search for the two young suspects continued.

“This is a plea to the public, it’s crucial that anyone that knows anything, contacts police immediately,” said Cpl. Julie Courchaine, media relations officers with the RCMP during Wednesday’s news conference. She added that Mounties have deployed additional resources to the town and set up an informational check stop at the road leading into Gillam.

Cpl. Chris Manseau told the Star earlier Wednesday that police do not want people to focus on where the teens were last seen, adding they could be miles away by now.

“If they’re on the move, if they’ve got another vehicle, they could truly be anywhere,” said Manseau. “They’ve obviously travelled some great distances over the last couple of days, so where they’re headed, we don’t know.”

Manseau said police have received at least one tip about possible connections the pair had to alt-right groups, but investigators have not been able to confirm it. He said investigators are likely to be doing “a full social media profile” of the two young men.

Criminologist Rob Gordon said while the pair appear to be moving quickly across the country, the sparsely populated nature of Canada’s north can pose challenges for people trying to evade police.

“The last place you want to go if you are a fugitive is a remote area where there are few other human beings,” said the Simon Fraser University professor.

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But investigators will likely rely on sightings from the public — local residents who can spot newcomers — to track down the suspects, he said.

“These guys stand out in a couple of ways. One is that they are tall. Secondly, they are young, and thirdly, it is highly likely they won’t split up — that makes them all the more conspicuous.”

Gordon and other criminologists across North America have been following the dramatic events closely.

“It’s an amazing case, it’s absolutely tragic,” said Howard Kurtz, a criminologist from Southwestern Oklahoma State University.

According to Kurtz, in the U.S., three in four teenagers who commit murder kill someone they know. “But to kill strangers on the road ... that is unusual,” said Kurtz, who is not involved with the case, but has been following media and police reports of the killings and subsequent manhunt.

“It seems to be more what we call a disorganized type of homicide … it’s a snowball effect where they have gotten themselves deeper and deeper and deeper.”

The deaths of Australian Lucas Fowler, 23, and American Chynna Noelle Deese, 24, made international headlines after they were found shot to death on the side of highway south of the B.C.-Yukon border on July 15.

Four days later, RCMP investigated a burning truck near Dease Lake, B.C., about a seven-hour drive from where Fowler and Deese were killed. While investigating the vehicle fire, police discovered a man’s body about two kilometres away. They have now identified that man as Leonard Dyck of Vancouver. The burning truck was last seen being driven by McLeod and Schmegelsky in Dease Lake.

On Tuesday, RCMP announced that the two — previously described as missing — were now considered suspects.

The ensuing cross-Canada manhunt is a long way from where they started.

The Vancouver Island city of Port Alberni, a mill town with a population of about 20,000, is where both boys grew up. Friends since elementary school, and recently co-workers at the town’s Walmart, the pair set off this month on a road trip, reportedly to look for work in the Yukon.

That McLeod and Schmegelsky have been connected to both incidents has sent shock waves through their hometown.

Neighbours who knew the families remained tight lipped as the families asked for privacy, but the mood around town was one of shock and unease.

With only one high school, Port Alberni’s teenagers all know — or know of — one another. One teen who declined to give her name said Schmegelsky and McLeod were one year ahead of her at school. She said she didn’t know them well and the pair kept a low profile.

“They definitely weren’t popular, they didn’t play hockey,” she said. “You have to play hockey in this town to be popular.”

When they found out Schmegelsky and McLeod were missing, Port Alberni’s teenagers found it really “weird,” she said. “Things like this don’t often happen in Port Alberni.”

The RCMP have been in contact with both teens’ families to ask for help in finding them, said Sgt. Janelle Shoihet.

RCMP describe Schmegelsky as six-foot-four, 169 pounds, with sandy brown hair. McLeod is described as six-foot-four, 169 pounds, with brown eyes, dark brown hair and facial hair. Police are warning the public not to approach them and to take no action other than to call 911.

With files from Jesse Winter, Kevin Maimann, Cherise Seucharan and The Canadian Press

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