Remains found at Prairie Green Landfill confirmed as Marcedes Myran

A second set of remains found in a Winnipeg-area landfill have been identified as belonging to a slain First Nations woman who was murdered in 2022 by a convicted serial killer. 

Manitoba RCMP confirmed remains found during a search of the Prairie Green landfill belong to Marcedes Myran, 26, who was from Long Plain First Nation in southern Manitoba, the province said on Monday. 

Myran was believed to have been killed in May 2022, however, her remains were only recently recovered as part of a humanitarian search and recovery mission.

Myran’s family has been notified, the government said in a news release announcing the findings.

“Marcedes Myran and Morgan Harris are coming home,” Premier Wab Kinew told reporters Monday. 

“This is what we set out to do. I don’t know if many of us knew the odds of success but it turns out bringing them home was within our grasp and something we were able to do for these families.”

The news came after a search team found one set of remains while combing through an area of the landfill last month. Police confirmed earlier this month those belonged to Morgan Harris, a second victim of Jeremy Skibicki.  

A trial heard that he targeted them at homeless shelters in Winnipeg and disposed of their bodies in garbage bins.

Kinew said he spoke with some of Myran’s family after they were notified and that they are currently processing the confirmation that their loved one is returning home. 

“We hold our hands up in prayer and love for the Myran family,” said Grand Chief Kyra Wilson. “I have witnessed the strength, determination, and relentless love of Marcedes’ family as they fought to bring her home. Their courage is a reflection of the love they carry for her. Our hearts are with them as they grieve and begin the journey of healing.

The Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) said in a statement Monday that they “continue to uplift and honour the memory of Morgan Beatrice Harris, Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman), Rebecca Contois, and all our women, girls, and Two-Spirit relatives who remain missing or have been taken too soon.”

The organization said the family has asked for privacy and space to grieve, adding more information will be shared when the family is ready. 

The Assembly of First Nations offered its condolences to those who knew Myran. 

“The loss of Marcedes and the difficult fight for search and recovery has been incomprehensible,” National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak said in a statement. 

The search began in early December for both Myran and Harris began, and both were found in late February.

The remains of Rebecca Contois were found in a garbage bin and at a different landfill. Those of an unidentified woman Indigenous grassroots community members named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman, have not been found and police have not said where they might be.

Police refused to search the Prairie Green landfill over safety concerns. The Progressive Conservative government at the time also said it wouldn’t support a search, and touted that decision during the 2023 provincial election campaign.

The Tories also ran advertisements in the 2023 election campaign that touted their decision to say no to a landfill search. 

The NDP government, elected that year, promised a search and, in conjunction with the federal government, committed a total of $40 million to the efforts, which began last year. 

Wayne Ewasko, interim leader of the Progressive Conservatives, apologized in the legislature earlier this month to the families of Harris and Myran, saying the party had lost its way.

Kinew said a number of tough conversations were had as the decision on whether to search to the landfill played out in public and private spheres, but he hopes Manitobans and Canadians can recognize moving forward with a search was the right thing to do. 

“We went through a whole heck of a lot to get to this point, but at the end of the day we did the right thing,” he said. “We did right by these families and we are bringing their loved ones home.”

The search continued Monday, with Kinew saying more remains were discovered that day that are believed to belong to Myran or Harris. 

Next steps on continuing with the search will be discussed with the families, he added. 

-With files from the Canadian Press