Grief in Long Plain First Nation after 2 women from Manitoba community identified as homicide victims

WARNING: This story contains distressing details.

A grieving First Nation in south central Manitoba is offering support to help those affected by the deaths of two of its own members, who police believe were killed by the same man.

Morgan Beatrice Harris, 39, and Marcedes Myran, 26, were both originally from Long Plain First Nation.

But they were living in Winnipeg when they were allegedly murdered by Jeremy Skibicki in early May, police said Thursday.

"There's a lot of sadness and grief in our community right now," said Kyra Wilson, chief of Long Plain First Nation, about 95 kilometres west of Winnipeg.

"When we do suffer a loss in our community, we all feel it, and it's just a really sad time for many people."

Police said Thursday they had charged Skibicki — who already faced a first-degree murder charge in the May death of another First Nations woman, 24-year-old Rebecca Contois — in connection with the deaths of the two Long Plain women.

They also allege he killed another woman in March, who has not yet been identified.

Wilson says the past couple of days have been extremely difficult.

"[We're] just trying to help support families, whether that is community members on reserve, or whether that is community members off reserve," she said.

Inside Long Plain's spirit lodge, a sacred fire is burning in honour of the slain women. The lodge itself is serving as a "safe space, a comforting space," Wilson said.

There are also tobacco ties being made to offer prayers to the sacred fire.

Myran was last seen in Winnipeg's North End. Her family last had contact with her in March, her grandmother said.

Harris, a mother of five and a grandmother, was last seen at the beginning of May.