Suspect sought in Portage triple homicide

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This article was published 11/04/2022 (991 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Police are searching for a man accused of killing a Portage la Prairie woman and her two children before burning their home down — less than 48 hours after he was released from custody for an alleged assault.

On Tuesday, Manitoba RCMP announced charges for Trevis McLeod, 50, of arson and three counts of second-degree murder.

McLeod was arrested Sunday for an assault that occurred following the discovery of the three bodies, RCMP Sgt. Paul Manaigre confirmed to the Free Press.

He was released with conditions Monday, according to court records.

“Additional information and evidence gathered since his release allowed the Manitoba RCMP to lay formal charges (Tuesday) afternoon,” Manaigre said in an email.

Police were called to the blaze in a duplex on 7th Street S.E. in the city west of Winnipeg around 1 a.m. Firefighters were already extinguishing the flames when officers arrived on scene.

The bodies were found inside the home after the flames were put out.

RCMP have since identified the remains as a 32-year-old mother, her six-year-old daughter and three-year-old son.

On Monday, RCMP said the Office of the Fire Commissioner was probing the cause of the blaze.

McLeod was last seen in Winnipeg on Monday and Tuesday, RCMP said.

The Mounties and Winnipeg Police Service are “actively searching” for McLeod. Law enforcement consider McLeod dangerous and have asked anyone who spots him or has information on his whereabouts to call 911.

McLeod is barred from contacting the complainants — four people with the surname McLeod, as well as another woman — according to a court order granting his release Sunday.

He was also ordered not to drink alcohol or consume illegal drugs, come within 100 metres of the complainants’ home, workplace, school or place of worship, or possess any weapon.

McLeod has past convictions for assault, mischief, disobeying court orders, thefts, and operating a vehicle while impaired, according to court records.

He was first charged and convicted of assault in 2005; most recently, he was convicted of the offence in April 2016.

On Tuesday, police tape at the scene of the triple homicide had been removed, and a temporary road closure ended.

— with files from Chris Kitching

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera