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Man charged after passenger is stabbed and beheaded on bus in Canada

Friday, 1 August 2008

Victim: Tim McLean Jr shown in a photograph from his MySpace page

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A 40-year-old man is being questioned following a horrific attack in which a passenger was stabbed and decapitated on a bus in Canada yesterday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said today that they have charged Vince Weiguang Li from Edmonton with second-degree murder.

Police have not confirmed the identity of the victim but friends have said it was Tim McLean Jr, 22, of Winnipeg.

Li appeared at the Manitoba provincial court in Portage la Prairie around 10 am CT without a lawyer. The suspect refused to speak and would only acknowledge the judge with a nod of the head.

The man was attacked as the Greyhound bus traveled across a desolate stretch of the TransCanada Highway about 12 miles from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.

Witnesses say the victim was sleeping with headphones on when he was stabbed 40 or 50 times by the man sitting next to him.

The attacker then severed the victim's head with a large hunting knife while other passengers scrambled to flee the scene.

A witness said the suspect had the victim on the floor of the bus and "was cutting his head off".

Passenger Garnet Caton, 26, said: "When he was attacking him, he was calm. There was no rage or, or anything. He was just like a robot.

"The victim didn't do anything to provoke the guy. The guy just took a knife out and stabbed him, started stabbing him like crazy and cut his head off.

"Some people were puking, some people were crying, other people were in shock . . . everybody was running, screaming, off the bus."

Another passenger, said the man "dropped the head and went back and started cutting the body."

After the bus pulled over and the terrified passengers fled, passengers said the attacker began taunting those outside with the victim's head.

Using makeshift weapons the driver and a passing trucker prevented the man from leaving the bus until the police arrived on the scene.

Greyhound spokeswoman Abby Wambaugh said 37 passengers and one driver were on the bus. The passengers were taken away to be interviewed by police and to stay overnight at a hotel.

In a statement Candian police said: "The RCMP are mindful of the range of emotions being experienced by the family of the deceased over the loss of their loved one in such a horrific incident. Our thoughts are with them."

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59 Comments

i cant believe these rude comments. my deepest condolences go out to the vitims family and thoes aboard the bus!

Posted by Mark | 21.08.08, 07:00 GMT

I can't believe something like this has happened. It makes me sick to think there are people like this out there, and that somebody so young and innocent can have their life taken away from them in such a horrific way. I am praying for the victim and his family, may he rest in peace. X x x x

Posted by Kimber-Leigh | 05.08.08, 16:19 GMT

I am so appalled and angry that it is difficult to write this. I am praying for the victim's family.

Posted by kim robinson | 03.08.08, 22:35 GMT

concerning the opprobius comments from those who feel that the victim's fellow passengers could have done something about the situation, I would say to these armchair heroes to consider the old Jamaican proverb which goes like this, -" No call alligator long nose till you pass him"

Posted by michael gibney, sydney | 03.08.08, 22:08 GMT

Police should have also stormed the bus after a smoke bomb.

Posted by Garrett | 03.08.08, 22:08 GMT

What part of the united states are you first posters living in? Our country is falling apart, everyday you hear of someone being killed, kidnapped, robbed and the like. How often do you hear of anything happening in Canada? Not often. Canada has a much better economy than we do, lower crime rates and better health care system. The USA is so bad that not only are we killing each other, but we have foreign places attacking us and killing thousands of us. Last time I checked Canada wasn't having planes hijacked and crashed into buildings. Maybe before you brag about how much greater the US is than Canada you should remember that it's that thinking that has made the US one of the most hated countries out there. And seeing as you can't get a gun on a bus in the US good luck shooting the guy. I agree with the poster that wrote that if this had happened here no one would have helped, instead we would be watching video on you tube. American's are the most self involved people.

Posted by Kay, Washington | 03.08.08, 19:54 GMT

Yet another example of "man's inhumanity to man", this horrific murder could have happened anywhere.

The perpetrator apparently did not have any documented history of mental illness and, perhaps not surprisingly, was never suspected by those who knew him of being dangerous, let alone insane.

My condolences go to the family and friends of unfortunate Tim McLean.

Posted by Alwyn Mitchell | 03.08.08, 15:54 GMT

I live in Pennsylvania. There are amazing caring and helpful people in many parts of the US.

I also love to visit Canada and love the subtle differences in the cities and towns, food, accents,etc. and I especially love the amazing ,caring and helpful people I always come in contact with while visiting that beautiful country.

This horrible act could happen anywhere.

The few on here who criticize others should work to become enlightened

Posted by Mary | 03.08.08, 05:58 GMT

Okay guys lets be real, first of all by the time anyone realized what was going on the poor guy had been stabbed enough to be fatally wounded. In five seconds that man probably stabbed him one time for every second with a rambo knife, and that's bad. People did the right thing because it could of been more than one person killed. Even if someone would of had a gun that poor guy still would probably of been killed. Open your eyes people i hate to get spiritual, but there are demons among us. I'm tired of people saying these killers are just insane. I'm sorry there are greater forces at work here.... I will keep the victim, victim's family, and the witnesses in my prayers. God bless all and no one really knows what to do when put in such a horrific situation, and no one is to blame but the devil himself...

Posted by Justin | 03.08.08, 01:53 GMT

This is disgusting i think if i met this guy i would kill him right away, decapitation is the most disgusting and horrific form of murder and this man should go to jaiil for the rest of his ife

Posted by arby | 03.08.08, 01:30 GMT

Why all the negative comments about Canadians and their gun law. Amercians you have your guns perhaps you should have our medical system to assist you once you have been shot. The sad news here is someone was killed in a horrific manner. The witnesses may have been shocked beyond belief and action. My heart goes to victim's family and friends. It's easy for all of us to say they should have killed him.

Posted by May | 03.08.08, 01:02 GMT

brutal.

Posted by HAILSATAN666 | 02.08.08, 21:20 GMT

I am curious as to why it is 2nd degree murder. Why not 1st?

Also, the majority of Americans will not side with the idiots trying to make this a political issue. It's really easy to talk tough when you are sitting at a computer typing. Try being there. How tough would you be then?

Posted by Kerry | 02.08.08, 18:14 GMT

I live in the US. If this had happened in the US.I doubt very much that anyone on the bus would have been carrying a firearm.
I do think though, that the cops would most likely have shot the perpetrator ASAP

Posted by Bill | 02.08.08, 16:16 GMT

I can't put into words how atrocious this act was. The family must be destroyed right now: to lose a family member at such a young age, in such a horrific manner, and now to have their tragedy globally publicised. I hope they're given the peace and privacy to mourn for however long they need!!

Posted by Anonymousse005 | 02.08.08, 15:32 GMT

I feel sorry for the poor guys family and the pasengers on the bus as this would be horrific to watch.

Posted by Benno | 02.08.08, 10:35 GMT

I can say from experience that in a situation where someone is armed and using their weapon, your first instinct is survival. Adrenaline will kick in, making you jump and giving a metallic taste in the back of your mouth and you will just run as fast as you can as far as you can. There's absolutely nothing you can do against it. So, unless there was some battle or combat trained person on the bus, running away was the most natural, and the smartest thing to do.

Posted by Laura | 02.08.08, 04:24 GMT

This is ridiculous! I'm all for patriotism, but is this really the place? Also, no one knows what they would do until they are put in the situation. These people witnessed a horrific act by someone who is probably criminally insane. FOCUS people. How about offering condolences and prayers to the family and loved ones of the victim and those who witnessed this. My prayers are with them all.

Posted by Renee | 02.08.08, 01:07 GMT

My heart goes out to Tim Mc Lean's family and the people on the bus that had to witness this truly disturbing crime.

This type of crime could've happened anywhere. With mental health services getting cut it's more surprising this doesn't happen more often.

Perhaps this should serve as a wake up call to rail and bus services globally. There is no security when you take a bus or a train. It just takes one unbalanced person to bring on a weapon and kill someone. I've never understood why there is no security when using these forms of transportation.

As a Canadian living in the U.S I find it disgusting that some people feel the need to make this an issue of national pride and prejudice. It's an isolated incident!

Posted by Melissa | 02.08.08, 00:21 GMT

Someone told me about this while I was eating lunch - and I was sick then, being on the bus would have been just awful. My heart goes out to those people and to the family of the victim. This is so horrible I don't know what else to say.

I am also sickened at the lack of sincerity of some people - if you have never been in that situation - you have no idea how you would have reacted. To judge others is your own misguided attitude. I was born and raised in America and believe that we have enough of our own issues. I have visited Canada many times and think it's a noble and peaceful country. I think most people in this world need to start looking at themselves before they judge what others do. I don't care what country your from!

Posted by Dawn | 01.08.08, 23:11 GMT