On July 27 Bear Clan Patrol members arrived in Gillam and on July 28 reported a sighting of the two suspects on the run for murder in York Landing.

Executive Director, James Favel, says they sent up seven members after a request from Grand Cheif Arlen Dumas.

"On Friday afternoon, around 4:30 Grand Chief Arlen Dumas called from the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs and he asked if we could put a group of people to go up and support the communities that are not supported by RCMP or band constables," says Favel.

The members have been patrolling the communities in hopes of easing tensions and helping in the search for Kam Macleod and Bryer Schmegelsky.

Favel says, "They're doing mobile patrol and foot patrol in the community right now - all 7 members plus the chief a couple of council members from what I understand."

Communication has not been constant, says Favel, as reception is not reliable: "I haven't been able to reach them ... Basically, just been going off what I hear which is not a lot."

Favel last spoke verbally with a member, called Travis, yesterday afternoon and Favel says, "Everything went kind of crazy after that."

"This is definitely out of the ordinary. ... This is absolutely the first time we have ever had anything like this come up."

Since his talk with Travis, a sighting by Bear Clan Patrol members had been reported. It was said that two individuals, matching the descriptions of Mcleod and Schmegelsky, were found around the York Landing landfill. They two individuals ran off at the sound of the Patrol's vehicle.

RCMP have since stated - after holding a press conference saying they would continue the search based on the tips - that the tips cannot be substantiated and they have not made contact with the individuals in question.

"A valuable opportunity seems like it was missed and that's unfortunate," says Favel.

"I was hoping that this would have been resolved last night because they were so close. The RCMP did respond fairly quickly yesterday but, of course, that terrain is very hard to move around in so it is shocking to me that they got away. Although they were very close to the river there and that could have provided an easy escape for them.'

As far as the Bear Clan's involvement from this point forward, Favel says, "I expect that they will stay a little longer for sure. I'm not sure how much longer they will stay, but they will stay for sure."

"Our people have been out there a couple of days so they're tired and they want to come home but nobody wants to leave while all this is going on.

"Everybody is still very tense right now - on high alert. The town is still locked down. They're not living their normal lives and that's troublesome to them and I understand that."