Manitoba premier says he wants landfill search for remains of 2 slain First Nations women in 2024

A search of a Winnipeg-area landfill for the remains of two First Nations women believed to be the victims of an alleged serial killer could happen next year, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew says.

Police said a year ago that they believe the remains of Morgan Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, were taken to the Prairie Green landfill, just north of Winnipeg, in May 2022.

Since then, the families of the women have been fighting to have the landfill searched. 

The former Progressive Conservative government refused to support such a search, citing hazards to workers and concerns about its feasibility.

But on Friday, Kinew — whose NDP defeated the Tories in the October provincial election — said he "would like a search to begin in 2024."

The province has "identified the resources internally and we are now assessing the best logistical path to deliver the search compassionately and safely," Kinew said in a statement emailed to CBC News.

It did not give a more specific start date, nor indicate specifics on the resources involved.

Kinew said both during the election campaign and after that his government would support a search.

On Friday, he said his government wants to ensure the families of Harris and Myran are involved and feel welcome to give input throughout the process.

He also said the province is "working with the federal government to identify what role they will play."

Federal Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree said last September that the Liberal government was willing to support a search but needed the province to get on board too.

A day after Kinew's election, Anandasangaree announced that the federal government was providing $740,000 to Long Plain First Nation — Harris and Myran's home community — to further review the details of what's needed for a potential search.

A federally funded feasibility study done last spring found a search of the landfill could cost up to $184 million and take up to three years.

The report said safety measures could be taken to mitigate the potential hazards of the search.

Murder trial coming in 2024

The man accused of killing Harris and Myran, as well as two other women, is scheduled to begin at the end of April.

Jeremy Skibicki was charged in December 2022 with first-degree murder in the deaths of Harris, Myran and a still-unidentified woman later given the name Mashkode Bizhiki'ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.

He had been arrested and charged with first-degree murder in the death of Rebecca Contois, 24, earlier that year.

During pretrial motions in November, Skibicki's lawyers argued for his right to a trial by judge alone, instead of the jury trial automatically slated because it involves first-degree murder charges.

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to all four counts of first-degree murder.