Canadian police have declared “the search is over” after two male bodies, believed to be teenage fugitives Kam McLeod and Bryer Schmegelsky, were found in dense bushland near Gillam.

McLeod and Schmegelsky, both 19, are suspected of embarking on a murderous highway rampage in Canada last month that left Australian tourist Lucas Fowler, his US girlfriend Chynna Deese and botanist Leonard Dyck dead.

After an enormous manhunt spanning several weeks, Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers discovered two male bodies believed to be the suspected teen killers in thick bushland at about 10am on Wednesday (local time).

The search is over.  At 10am this morning, Manitoba RCMP officers located the bodies of two males, believed to be the BC suspects, near the shoreline of the Nelson River (approx 8km from the burnt vehicle). #rcmpmb pic.twitter.com/tZ7EBFsNDr

— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) August 7, 2019

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Jane MacLatchy said in a media conference on Thursday morning (Australian time) that police “believe these are the bodies of the two suspects wanted in connection with the homicides in British Colombia”.

“An autopsy has been scheduled to confirm their identities and to determine their cause of death,” Assistant Commissioner MacLatchy told the media.

She said the key to finding the bodies was the discovery of some of the fugitives’ personal items near the banks of the Nelson River on Friday.

Police have declined to say what the items were.

The bodies were located approximately 1km from where the belongings were found, and about 8km from where the teens’ burnt out Toyota RAV4 getaway car was dumped on July 22 near Gillam.

“We knew we needed to find just that one piece of evidence that could move this search forward,” Assistant Commissioner MacLatchy said.

“On Friday, August 2 that one critical piece of evidence was found – items directly linked to the suspects located on the shoreline of the Nelson River.

“Following this discovery, we were at last able to narrow down the search.”

Assistant Commissioner MacLatchy said she extended condolences to the families of Mr Fowler, Ms Deese and Mr Dyck, and that she hoped her announcement could “begin to bring some closure” to them.

Victims: Chynna Deese, Lucas Fowler and Leonard Dyck.

She also thanked all the members of the search team, who “never gave up on our search efforts” despite “no confirmed sightings since July 22”, as well as the media, local communities and Canadians who reported tip-offs to the police.

Thanks to the communities & the leadership of Gillam, Fox Lake Cree Nation, Ilford War Lake First Nation & York Landing – your lives have been disrupted, many of you lived with uncertainty & fear, but throughout, you were resilient & helped our officers get the job done. #rcmpmb

— RCMP Manitoba (@rcmpmb) August 7, 2019

The teen fugitives’ rampage began on July 15 more than 3000km west in the province of British Columbia when Mr Fowler, 23, the son of a high-ranking NSW police officer, and his girlfriend Ms Deese, 24, were found shot dead and left in a ditch on the side of a BC highway.

The body of Professor Dyck was discovered four days later on another BC highway, two kilometres from an abandoned and burning pick-up truck that had been driven by Schmegelsky and McLeod.