Jeremy Skibicki is shown in this undated handout photo, taken by police while in custody, provided by the Court of King's Bench. The admitted serial killer's mental state is expected to be the focus of his murder trial that resumes in Winnipeg on Monday.THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO, Court of King's Bench *MANDATORY CREDIT*
WINNIPEG – An admitted serial killer’s mental state is expected to be the focus of a murder trial that resumes in Winnipeg.
Jeremy Skibicki, who is 37, has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the deaths of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg in 2022.
Crown prosecutors have said the killings were racially motivated and Skibicki preyed on the vulnerable victims at homeless shelters.
Skibicki’s lawyers admit he killed the women but argue he should be found not criminally responsible due to mental illness.
They are expected to start calling evidence, including their own expert, about Skibicki’s state of mind at the time of the slayings.
Manitoba Court of King’s Bench Chief Justice Glenn Joyal also ordered Skibicki undergo a mental health assessment last month with a Crown-appointed expert.
The trial has so far heard that Skibicki assaulted his victims, strangled or drowned them and disposed of their bodies in garbage bins in his neighbourhood. Two were dismembered.
The killings came to light after the partial remains of Rebecca Contois, 24, were first found in a garbage bin in Skibicki’s neighbourhood in May 2022. More of her remains were discovered at a city-run landfill the following month.
Police found out Skibicki had tried to add Contois to his apartment lease, and he was arrested.
In an unexpected move, Skibicki admitted to investigators that he had killed Contois and three others: Morgan Harris, 39; Marcedes Myran, 26; and an unidentified woman an Indigenous grassrootscommunity named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe, or Buffalo Woman.
The remains of Harris and Myran are believed to be at a different landfill. It is not known where Buffalo Woman’s remains are located.
The Crown has presented video, DNA, computer and witness evidence linking Skibicki to the victims to illustrate possible planning and coverup of the killings.
Police testified that internet searches on Skibicki’s computer found inquiries about how to get rid of DNA and fingerprints, garbage pickup schedules and what it means to be a serial killer.
There was also a computer search for “explosive anger disorder.”
Skibicki told police he struggled with addiction to methamphetamine and ecstasy and was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.
A finding of not criminally responsible means an accused was incapable of appreciating the nature and quality of an act due to a mental disorder. The person is detained in a hospital until a review board determines they are no longer a threat to the public.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 3, 2024.
