From the files of the Depraved, Grotesque and Macabre

OK It's been brought to my attention that the Blogue Macabre has been lacking in truly macabre content. (although the on going 100 things to do with a corpse does fill the bill to some extent). Any way this past summer I was writing a bit based on some rather macabre current events that occurred up in the north country in which a disturbed whack-job, Vince Wieguang Li, boarded a Greyhound bus and proceeded to kill another passenger and then proceed to behead his corpse. I was actually writing from the angle of what is it about decapitation that disturbs our societal sensibilities more than the simple explicit act of brutal murder, after all once dead the corpse rarely complains. Well lacking a degree in either psychology and/or anthropology I decided to drop the entry. But Damn it this story just keeps getting more bizarre. The whack-job in question is now in court and the details of the incident as they come to light are far more grotesque than were originally reported, elevating Li to the ranks of Geoffery Dhamer or Ed Gein.

Sun columnist Tom Brodbeck has summed up excerpts from the court records esentialy making the first comprehensive wiki on history's most recent psychopath. So for those of you who want disturbing read on, but remember you've been warned.

Now in respect to Mr. Brodbeck, the following is his article, however I am making one minor alteration to his piece, for which if he objects, he is welcome inform me, but I am removing the abbreviative title "Mr." from usage in reference to Vince Li, as it denotes a degree of respect that I will not bestow him.

The story of Vince Li

The following are excerpts from the agreed statement of facts for the trial of Vince Weiguang Li.
This information, filed in court, is extremely disturbing and may not be suitable for all readers.
However, it is now public record and forms part of a very important aspect of this case. Reader discretion is strongly advised.




Vince Weiguang Li was born in Dandong China on 30 April, 1968. He graduated from the University of Wuhan Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science (Computers) in 1992. Li immigrated to Canada in 2001, and became a citizen in 2005. He graduated from CDI College (Computer Programming) in 2002.

He was divorced from his wife Ana in 2006. During his time in Canada, he held a number of menial jobs including caretaking in a church, assistant manager at McDonalds, sales assistant in the parts department at Canadian Tire, and newspaper carrier. He was unable to obtain employment in his field, and had periods of unemployment, although at other times held two jobs at the same time.

Li had few friends, those he had describe him as having mental problems, but never knew him to be violent.

At approximately 12:30 am on Tuesday, 29 July 2008, Li boarded a Greyhound bus in Edmonton, Alberta heading to Thunder Bay, via Winnipeg. He purchased his ticket under the name of Wong Pent. He did not notify his ex-wife that he was leaving, nor what his destination was. He did leave her a note stating: “I’m gone, don’t look for me, I wish you were happy.”

Li got off the bus in Erickson, Manitoba at 5:55 pm on 29 July 2008, although the bus driver tried to advise him that it was not his stop. There was insufficient time to re-issue his ticket, as per the statement of bus driver Patrick Delbridge, attached as Appendix 2. He spent 24 hours in Erickson, as there is only one bus per day stopping in that community. During that time he disposed of most of his personal assets by either selling them or burning them.

At approximately 12:30 am on Wednesday, 30 July 2008, Tim McLean (born 03 October 1985) boarded Greyhound bus 1170 in Edmonton, Alberta, to return home to Winnipeg at the conclusion of summer employment on the carnival circuit.

Li boarded Greyhound bus 1170 for Winnipeg on 30 July 2008 at 5:55 pm at Erickson, Manitoba.

Tim McLean and Vince Li were not known to each other. They did not appear to have any interaction with each other on board the bus or at any of the scheduled bus stops.

Tim McLean got off the bus for a cigarette break, between Brandon and Portage la Prairie. After he returned to his seat, Li moved to the back of the bus and sat beside Tim McLean. The two did not appear to converse.

At approximately 8:30 pm on Wednesday, 30 July 2008, when Greyhound bus 1170 was approximately 18 kilometers west of Portage la Prairie on the TransCanada Highway, Li began to repeatedly stab Tim McLean, for no apparent reason.

Tim McLean struggled and tried to escape, as evidenced by a number of defensive wounds. He was unsuccessful and eventually either fell or was thrown to the floor of the bus. Due to his location at the back of the bus and adjacent to a window, the seats ahead of him were a barrier to escape.

Li was pre-occupied with Tim McLean, and continued to stab him as he lay on the floor. He did not pay any attention to the other passengers as the bus was vacated. He appeared oblivious to the demands of bus driver Bruce Martin that he stop what he was doing. Several persons indicate that after everyone had vacated the bus, Li came to the front of the bus and tried to exit. The bus driver was able to close the door on Li’s arm, with the bloody knife extended outside of the bus.

Li was able to pull his arm back into the bus, and returned to the rear of the bus, where he defiled the body of Tim McLean. Mr. Martin immediately called 911, once everyone was safely off his bus, and the bus door was closed.

As Greyhound bus 1170 pulled onto the shoulder, Bernie Scyrup, driver of a second Greyhound bus that was following Greyhound bus 1170 to carry the passenger overload, realized that there was something unusual in the fashion that Mr. Martin pulled over and stopped his bus. Mr. Scyrup stopped his bus on the shoulder in front of Greyhound bus 1170.

Mr. Scyrup attended to Greyhound bus 1170, and observed that Li was at the back of the bus. Mr. Scyrup entered the bus and called out to Li, as Li continued to stab the body of Tim McLean. Li responded by stating “get emergency.”
As Li repeatedly looked at Mr. Scyrup, Mr. Scyrup realized that Li was severing the head of Tim McLean. Mr. Scyrup got off the bus, as he realized that Tim McLean was dead and could not be helped.

Li attended to the front of the bus, holding the severed head of Tim McLean in one hand and a black-handled knife in the other hand. He motioned that he wished to be let off the bus. The door to the bus was not opened, and was barricaded or protected by a truck driver who pulled over to assist, and was armed with a snipe bar. Upon RCMP arrival, a police vehicle was parked against the doors to the bus, to prevent Li from exiting.

At one point Li looked at the controls, and witnesses believed he was trying to start the bus. Rather, Li was trying to open the door so that he could exit the bus. Mr. Scyrup cut the power to the bus. Li threw the head of Tim McLean into the stairwell and then returned to the back of the bus and continued to mutilate the body of Tim McLean.

(RCMP) Cpl. Harder attempted to communicate with Li, and asked him to drop the knife out of a small window located in the bathroom at the rear of the bus. Li’s only response was some unintelligible words, plus words to the effect that he had to stay on the bus forever. As the officers watched, Li continued to mutilate both the body and the head/face of Tim McLean, using both a buck knife and a pair of scissors.

Various officers noted that he continued to mutilate the body and head of Tim McLean. Cst. Brown and Cpl. G. Smith noted that Li appeared to smell, and then eat parts of Tim McLean’s flesh. He also appeared to lick blood from his fingers and hands. Li also continued to carry Tim McLean’s internal organs and various body parts throughout the bus, later returning to bag them in white plastic garbage bags. He also carried the head of Tim McLean from time to time.

At approximately 1:20 am on 31 July 2008, Li broke open a window on the bus, threw out some personal belongings, a knife and a pair of scissors. He then jumped out of the bus, head first, landing on top of the knife. RCMP members immediately tried to apprehend him. He was struggling, screaming, and refused to surrender his hands. Police stunned him with a Taser on several occasions before he surrendered his hands and could be handcuffed and taken to a police vehicle.

Found in Li’s pants pocket was a plastic bag containing Tim McLean’s ear, nose, and tongue.

Li was formally arrested.

Li was taken to the Portage General Hospital for treatment regarding a gash on his right hand and a cut to his head behind his right ear.

A variety of Tim McLean’s body parts and organs were found throughout the bus.

The tip of the blade was located in the skull of Tim McLean in the forehead area just above the inner aspect of the right eyebrow.

The autopsy reveals that the cause of death of Tim McLean was multiple stab wounds.

The body of Tim McLean showed evidence of damage in excess of 100 areas, ranging from abrasions to a large gaping wound of the chest.

The eyes were missing and not recovered.

The internal organs were recovered, in plastic bags, in 4 separate areas of the bus.

Dr. Littman, the pathologist, estimates that one third of the heart of Tim McLean was never recovered and it is presumed that Li ate it. Further, Tim McLean’s eyes were never recovered, and also are presumed to have been eaten.

Li denies eating the flesh of Tim McLean.

Indeed a macabre tale of nonfiction. So as you go about your daily life with a comfortable degree of separation in your mind between the horror genre that we all enjoy so much and the physical reality in which you perceive yourself, think of this tale the next time you board that bus or subway car.

G. Macabre