The Grisly Greyhound Bus Murder that Shook Canada Part 1.

 

Hi Everyone. There is no easy way to ease into this case, so I'll give a little history of how it went down before you hear all the gruesome details. This one is a tough one!!!

First, I will introduce the victim of this insanely hideous crime. HIs name was Timothy Richard McLean Jr.. He was a 22 year old, young man who worked for the carnivals as a barker (you know, those people who hand out flyers in public, or attract people's attention to the newest carnival or event happening in town)... He was working in Edmonton at the time.

Sadly, when the murder occurred, Tim's girlfriend was pregnant. His son was born 5 months after his death; but that is not the end of the drama in his family's life. They battled Tim's girlfriend for his son, and actually won custody. He now resides with Tim's mother, as his parents have since divorced.

I don't want to spend too much time on speaking about the murderer because I really think he doesn't deserve any attention at all; but in order to understand the outcome and the ruling in this case, you need to know the background and history.

Vincent Weiguang Li was originally from China, and it was revealed fairly early on in his life that he would face many challenges intellectually, only learning to speak and walk when he was five years old. It does seem a little odd that when he got older, things were much easier for him; even studying automotive engineering. He married and his wife would say that she saw no signs of mental illness.

Vincent immigrated to Canada in June 2001 as part of a Federal Skilled Worker Program. He did not legally become a Canadian citizen until the end of 2006. He worked in a church to support him and his wife; the pastor saying he seemed to enjoy working there, inspite of the language barrier.

Li converted to Christianity, because he believed he heard God's voice; truly believing he was the third story of the Bible as well as the second coming of Jesus Christ. It was his duty to save the people from an alien invasion.

He started showing signs of paranoid schizophrenia and began always carrying a large butcher knife with him. Because of his outrageous behaviour and paranoia, and refusing to seek medical help, his wife ultimately left him and he moved to another town, working several jobs to survive. Li says this is the time when he had his first complete mental breakdown.

In 2005, Li was convinced by the voices that he needed to go to Toronto, Ontario, but once there he was told (by the voices), he needed to return to Winnipeg, by foot. The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) found him wandering on one of their busiest highways, completely delusional and disoriented. He stated that he was "following the sun" like God commanded him. Li was taken to a local hospital, that found no mental health concerns with him, and he was released against medical advice.

Li asked his wife to get him back to China, which she did. They attempted to reconcile, but she noticed his mental health had deteriorated immensely and his parents noted how much his personality had changed. Li and his wife divorced. He went back to Toronto, but managed to convince his wife to let him come back to her in Winnipeg, where she still lived. She allowed it, but in less than a year, he abandoned her again, and moved to Edmonton, Alberta.

In July 2007, she joined him in Edmonton, feeling he had a stable job and his mentality had improved for the better; he seemed happy and the hallucinations appeared to have vanished. Well, in June 2008, he suddenly declined and in the spur of the moment he flew out to China to see his family, but only remained for ONE day!!! He returned to his ex-wife whom he was living with, after he told his parents he was looking for a wife.

Li started having troubles at work and ultimately got fired over an argument with a coworker. On July 24, Li left a note for his wife, asking her not to look for him and for her to be happy. She didn't think anything of it, as this appeared to be the norm for Li and their relationship... at least until he called on July 26th telling her that he would not be returning.

July 29th is where this ill-fated meeting would begin. Li had purchased a ticket from Edmonton and stayed in Erickson, Manitoba for the night, until he could continue his journey back to Ontario. He sold his brand new laptop to some kid, which the RCMP conviscated at a later date; but there wasn't much evidence on it as to why he did what he did.

I will continue with the events in the next blurb, as I didn't think I would have this much to write about the perpetrator.

To be continued...