[7] On July 14, their 1986 Chevrolet van broke down along the Alaska Highway, 20 km (12 mi) south of Liard Hot Springs in British Columbia.
[16] On July 22, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) believed there was a possible link between the missing persons and murder victims in British Columbia.
[18] On July 23, a burning Toyota RAV4 was found near Fox Lake Cree Nation, north of Gillam, Manitoba, believed to be driven by the missing pair.
[20] After the case received nationwide attention, a resident of Cold Lake, Alberta, reported helping two younger males who had their RAV4 stuck on July 21.
[23] On the same day, the pair were stopped for a routine alcohol check by Tataskweyak Cree Nation band constables in Split Lake, Manitoba.
[28] After almost a week of unsuccessful search attempts in Gillam, the RCMP received a new tip on July 28:[29] Travis Bighetty and Justin Coelho, of the Indigenous Bear Clan Patrol, had spotted two people with "matching descriptions" of the fugitives at the York Landing community landfill, 200 kilometres southwest.
[31] On July 30, Northeast Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) received a report of two suspicious men with matching descriptions of McLeod and Schmegelsky near Iron Bridge, east of Sault Ste.
[32] On July 31 at 10:30 AM, OPP James Bay Detachment was notified that the fugitives might have been travelling eastbound in a white vehicle on Highway 11 near Kapuskasing,[32] carrying a firearm.
[34] By August 1, more unconfirmed locations of the suspects had been reported to the OPP including Sudbury, West Nipissing, North Bay and Parry Sound.
A breakthrough came on August 2 when Gillam-based tour guide Clint Sawchuk reported to the RCMP that he saw a blue sleeping bag at the edge of the Nelson River, near the entrance to Hudson Bay.
[42] By July 27, an RCAF 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron CC-130H Hercules aircraft was deployed from Winnipeg for aerial reconnaissance to the Gillam area, while following RCMP requests.