Dad is arrested for killing his family after the cops mistake him for a hero trying to save his children: the police

US News

by Yaron Steinbuch

A Canadian father killed his three young children, his partner and his teenage niece before authorities arrested him at the scene of a burning car, where they initially mistook him for a hero motorist trying to save the children, authorities said.

Ryan Howard Manocic, 29, of Carman, Manitoba, was seen trying to pull three children from a burning car Sunday morning, about two hours after officers responded to a report of the discovery of his common-law partner's body. Amanda Clearwater, 30, in a ditch 45 miles away, CBC News reported.

RCMP said officers initially believed Manocicek was a “witness.”

He was then accused of killing the couple's children, Bethany, 6, Jayvin, 4, and 2-month-old Isabella — as well as his 17-year-old niece, Mia Gratton, whose body was later found in a home, according to the Daily British Mail. To the exit.

The suspect is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, police said.

Autopsies are being conducted on the bodies, and police declined to provide further details as the investigation continues.

In Carman, officers line up the front and back yards of the family's small home, while forensic crews can be seen entering and exiting. Children's toys and a bicycle were scattered on the grass.

“This is a dark time in Manitoba,” Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said during a news conference Monday.

Carman Mayor Brent Owen called the killings “absolutely horrific” and said the entire community was affected by the tragedy.

Crisis teams arrived at Carman Collegiate School and Carman Elementary School, where the dead children were students, Prairie Rose School Division Superintendent Terry Osiwe said.

“Both buildings are relatively quiet right now. What we feel is that everyone is probably in a state of shock and disbelief that a tragedy like this could strike our community.”

Nancy Clearwater, Amanda's mother, said she was “dope.”

“I don’t know what to feel,” she told the outlet. “She loved those kids. She loved those kids more than anything in the world.”

“She was a good mother,” Clearwater added.

CBC News reported, citing court records, that Manocic has a history of addiction and mental health issues, as well as a previous conviction for smashing an electronic screen at a cafe while high on methamphetamine.

In 2019, he pleaded guilty to mischief in connection with the case and was granted supervised release, according to the outlet.

The judge told him he needed to address his alleged addiction and mental health issues.

“If you don't do something, it's going to cost you your family in the end,” the judge told Manawakisik, a member of the Garden Hill First Nation, at the time.

With mail wires