A Canadian man facing charges of murdering four Indigenous women has admitted to the killings. His lawyers argue he has a mental disorder that contradicts criminal responsibility.

Jeremy Skibicki is charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of four women-Rebecca Contois, Morgan Harris, Marcedes Myran and an unidentified woman, who was named Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe (Buffalo Woman) by Indigenous leaders.

Skibicki has pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

The unexpected development on Monday (May 6), prompted a shift in the trial format. Crown prosecutors in Winnipeg are now pursuing a judge-alone trial, which could begin as soon as Wednesday (May 8). As a result, the twelve jurors selected last month will be dismissed. 

“At this point, the accused is now admitting that he killed all four women, and that is a new development,” prosecutor Chris Vanderhooft told Manitoba’s court of king’s bench.

Skibicki have left the bodies of two of his known victims at Winnipeg’s Prairie Green landfill but police initially said that they did not have the resources to search the refuse at the facility, much of which is buried under tonnes of clay.

The admission from Skibicki’s lawyers comes a day after the national day of awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls – also known as “red dress day”.

A 2019 report labeled the disappearances and murders of at least 4,000 Indigenous women and girls in recent decades as “genocide.” This systemic neglect and state indifference continue to leave vulnerable Indigenous women prey to violence and injustice.

However, it is unclear if Monday’s revelations in court will give police and families a sense of where the bodies of Harris and Myran might be located, as well as the identity of Mashkode Bizhiki’ikwe.

(With inputs from agencies)