Canadian fugitives suspected in three murders died by suicide

Two teenage murder suspects who led authorities on a 15-day manhunt across Canada died of apparent suicide by gunfire, a medical examiner has revealed.

In a statement released on Monday afternoon, police said the autopsies confirmed that the bodies found near the Nelson River outside Gillam, Manitoba, last week belong to fugitives Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, and Kam McLeod, 19.

Officials said two firearms were found with the teens. "The two died in what appears to be suicides by gunfire," federal police said in a statement.

Kam McLeod, 19, and Bryer Schmegelsky, 18, wanted over the murders of an Australian man and his American girlfriend, as well as of a Canadian university professor, had led police on a cross-country manhunt.

Initially, the pair were reported missing themselves after their car was found torched in British Columbia province, but police then discovered the third body, and the teens were named as formal suspects.

Their remains were found in dense brush in the central province of Manitoba about eight kilometers (five miles) from a burned-out stolen vehicle belonging to one of the victims, discovered on July 22.

It is unclear when exactly the pair died.

However, police said there are "strong indications" that they had been alive for a few days since last being seen near the town of Gillam, Manitoba - which had sparked a massive police search of the area.

Police are conducting a forensic analysis of two firearms located with the teens in order to confirm that they were used in the British Columbia murders.