Intense manhunt continues for man accused of killing wife, kids

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This article was published 13/04/2022 (890 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police and RCMP are hunting “day and night” for a Portage man accused of killing his wife and two children before setting their house on fire.

“Our major crime units, our tactical teams, surveillance teams, high-risk offender units — just to name a few — are currently patrolling the city of Winnipeg and chasing down all tips as they come in,” RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson told the Free Press Thursday.

“When we engage in a search or a manhunt of this magnitude, it’s all based on risk assessment and the public… know that we believe he’s responsible for the murder of his family.”

Trevis Zane McLeod, 50, was formally charged Tuesday with arson and three counts of second-degree murder. RCMP have not identified the victims by name, but say his wife was 32 years old, his daughter was six and his son three.

The family lived in a duplex on 7th Street S.E. in Portage. Emergency responders found the bodies after firefighters doused the blaze Sunday in the city about 70 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

By the time Mounties filed the murder charges against McLeod, he had fled to Winnipeg and was spotted on Magnus Avenue in the North End.

The last confirmed sighting of him was at the Millenium Library in downtown Winnipeg Tuesday afternoon. He then walked through the downtown skywalk. RCMP released a surveillance photo of McLeod clad in glasses, a dark ball cap, black coat, black pants, black shoes, with a black bag in his hands.

Police urge anyone who thinks they may have seen McLeod to call 911 immediately — even if they believe it may be a small or insignificant piece of evidence. Police are investigating a number of tips, but the library sighting is the last that was substantiated.

“Most importantly, we want to bring some closure to the community of Portage la Prairie and importantly, to friends and family of the victims,” said Lasson, the officer in charge of Manitoba RCMP’s major crimes services.

“Any time we have a triple homicide, a triple murder in a community, it’s very shocking and tragic.”

Lasson would not reveal how the victims died, including whether a weapon was used, but said: “It’s very unfortunate and tragic that two young people, that young of age, had to be victims of crime in this manner.”

McLeod had been arrested and charged with assault on Sunday for offences allegedly committed following the fire, but he was released with court conditions Monday, RCMP confirmed to the Free Press.

“There was no one that had dropped the ball… when Mr. McLeod was initially arrested, it was for a number of incidents that happened after or post the murders,” Lasson said.

“At the time of his release, investigators did not have enough grounds or evidence to hold him in custody for the murders, thereby there wasn’t enough evidence to lay a charge for the murder.”

RCMP don’t have any indication that McLeod is armed, but Lasson noted it’s easy to access a weapon.

McLeod is barred from contacting the complainants in the Sunday assault charge — four people with the surname McLeod, as well as another woman — according to release order obtained by the Free Press.

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

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

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

A woman applied for and was granted a protection order against McLeod in 2004. He was barred from contacting the complainant and her child, or being within two blocks of their residence, the child’s school or the woman’s workplace.

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera