The trial of a confessed serial killer has ended its second week in Winnipeg

WINNIPEG – The murder trial of a confessed serial killer has wrapped up its second week of evidence.

Two former acquaintances of Jeremy Skibicki were expected to testify Friday about their relationship with the killer.

Crown prosecutors told the court that one witness had an unexpected health problem and the other did not appear.

Skibicki faces four counts of first-degree murder for the 2022 murders of four Indigenous women in Winnipeg.

His lawyers said he committed the murder but will not face criminal charges due to mental illness.

Prosecutors say the killings were racially motivated and that Skibicki preyed on women in a homeless shelter.

The court heard that Skibicki attacked his victims, strangled or drowned them and dumped their bodies in neighboring bins. Two women were dismembered.

Police arrested Skibicki in May 2022 after a man searching for scrap metal found the partial remains of Rebecca Contois. Most of the woman's remains were found in a landfill the following month.

During police questioning, Skibicki confessed to killing three other women.

The court heard the unidentified woman, identified by local leaders as Mashkode Bijikiikwe or Buffalo Woman, was killed in March 2022.

Morgan Harris and Marcedes Mayran were killed in May.

Police said they believe the remains of Harris and Mayran are at another landfill and have yet to be found. Buffalo police said the woman's whereabouts are unknown.

Earlier this week, Skibicki's ex-wife said he was abusive and controlling during their marriage. According to the woman, Skibicki sexually and physically assaulted her and once tried to suffocate her with a pillow.

The hearing also heard from a shelter worker who told her Skibicki was at the facility “to stalk his victims.”

Manitoba Court of Common Pleas Chief Justice Glenn Joyal also ordered Skibicki to undergo a mental health evaluation this weekend after a request from the Crown.

Defense attorneys retained their own experts to evaluate later in the trial.

The court session with the participation of the judge is scheduled for June 6.

This Canadian Press report was first published on May 17, 2024.

Brittany Hobson, Canadian Press