Three people have been charged in connection with the historic homicide of a Manitoba woman over two years after her body was found in an abandoned rural property.
Manitoba RCMP announced the charges Monday, noting the arrests came after a complex investigation and with the support of the family of Melinda Lynxleg — the 41-year-old woman who was first reported missing in April 2020 from Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve.
“I need to say that there is still a lot of work ahead, but I hope that today’s announcement will bring some reassurance to the family in this difficult time,” Manitoba RCMP Supt. Rob Lasson said at a news conference Monday.
Mounties say Kirk Kenneth Allarie, 42, from Roblin, Myles Malcolm Allarie, 38, from Russell, and Billy Jay Lynxleg, 46, from Valley River First Nation, were charged with second-degree murder and offering indignity to human remains.
The charges against them have not been tested in court.
All were arrested at their homes without incident between Oct. 14 and 16. They were remanded into custody, where they will remain until future court dates.
Police confirm Melinda knew all three of the accused.
“They were all acquaintances, and Billy Jay Lynxleg was a close family relation,” explained Manitoba RCMP Sgt. Morgan Page, adding they were all known to their local RCMP detachments, as well.
Hundreds of statements, thousands of investigative hours led to charges
Melinda was reported missing on April 16, 2020, on Tootinaowaziibeeng Treaty Reserve.
Mounties said she was last seen alive on April 2, 2020, after she left a home in the RM of Grandview.
Three years later, the investigation into Melinda’s disappearance led Mounties to an abandoned property in San Clara, Man., approximately 100 kilometres northwest of Dauphin, where her body was found on June 7, 2023.
Mounties confirmed Monday the property had a historical family connection to one of Melinda’s acquaintances.
An autopsy confirmed her death as a homicide.
In the years since her disappearance, Sgt. Page said more than 150 statements have been gathered with thousands of investigative hours logged by officers across multiple detachments.
A combination of factors led to the arrests, Sgt. Page said.
“We’ve been working with our lab and with all of the witnesses and the people surrounding Melinda at the time of her death in order to collect the information that we required to get us to the point of arresting the three individuals,” she said.
She noted investigators still have further information to collect as a result of the arrests made just last week.
Mounties say they are not releasing many details surrounding Melinda’s death out of respect to her family.
‘It’s been a nightmare’
Melinda’s family said in a statement while the arrests bring a sense of relief, it also reopens a deep pain.
“The last five years has been very tough for our family. It’s been a nightmare,” said Sharon Lynxleg, Melinda’s mother.
“These arrests will not bring Melinda back, but it goes a long way towards helping us heal.”
Melinda’s daughters and granddaughters wrote that they have grieved the loss for years, living with a pain that never ends.
“Growing up without her meant missing the love and guidance every girl deserves from her mother. The laughter and moments often daughters share with their moms are things that I will never have.”
With files from CTV’s Danton Unger and Kayla Rosen
