CARMAN, Manitoba – The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Manitoba has announced that a 29-year-old man has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. The victims include the suspect’s wife, three young children, and a 17-year-old relative. This announcement comes after police initially charged the man with first-degree murder in connection to the deaths of five people.
RCMP Insp. Tim Arseneault stated that family and friends are coping with an “unimaginable tragedy.” The deceased include the suspect’s 30-year-old wife, the couple’s six-year-old daughter, four-year-old son, two-month-old daughter, as well as the wife’s 17-year-old niece, who all lived together in Carman, a town 85 kilometers southwest of Winnipeg.
The tragedy unfolded with the discovery of multiple crime scenes in and around Carman. The morning of the incident, police responded to a report of a hit-and-run and found the wife dead in a ditch. Later in the day, officers were called to a report of a burning vehicle and found the children outside the car, who were pronounced dead at the scene. The body of the teen relative was discovered in the family home in Carman, leading to the arrest of the suspect, Ryan Howard Manoakeesick.
Autopsies are currently being conducted, and police have declined to provide further details as the investigation continues. Premier Wab Kinew described the situation as a “dark time in Manitoba,” emphasizing the sacredness of the bonds between family members. As the community mourns the loss of an entire family, questions still linger about the events that led to this tragic outcome.