Mark Hamm
Content of the article
Long Plain First Nation Chiefs and Manitoba Assembly Chiefs are publicly calling on Winnipeg Police Chief (WPS) Danny Smyth to step down after the WPS said he had no intends to search a Manitoba landfill for the remains of two Native women who were allegedly murdered by a suspected serial killer.
Content of the article
“With the violence directed at these Indigenous women evident, the message Danny Smyth is sending to the community is that Indigenous women don’t matter,” Long Plain First Nation Chief Kyra Wilson said in a statement. a press release on Thursday.
Content of the article
“Therefore, we call for the immediate resignation of Danny Smyth, so that steps can be taken to bring our women home.”
Last week, WPS announced new charges against suspected serial killer Jeremy Anthony Michael Skibicki in the deaths of Marcedes Myran, Morgan Harris and an unidentified woman referred to by the community as Buffalo Woman. Skibici was already facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of Rebecca Contois. The women were believed to have been killed between March and May 2022.
Content of the article
Smyth told reporters Tuesday that investigators believe the remains of Myran and Harris, who are both members of Long Plain First Nation, were in the Prairie Green landfill near Stony Mountain.
But Smyth said WPS does not plan to search the dump because their forensic unit sees little hope of a successful recovery and because of the risks it could pose to those carrying out this type of search. .
“The Chief of Police has the mandate and obligation to protect and serve the community to the best of his abilities, knowing that human remains reside in the landfill, but to do nothing more to locate the remains is not an effective or efficient public safety measure for the community,” Wilson said.
She added that she believes not searching the dump sends a message that could lead to more violence against Indigenous women and girls in Winnipeg.
“With his quick dismissal and lack of support, he further perpetuates violence against Indigenous women,” Wilson said.
On Thursday, the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) also publicly called for Smyth’s immediate resignation.
The Winnipeg Sun requested comments from WPS.
This story will be updated.