In one of Canada's most horrific crimes, a young expectant father was beheaded and partially cannibalised by a fellow passenger on a moving bus. The attacker, who believed he was acting on orders from God to save humanity from aliens, has since been released into the community.
A Journey Interrupted by Unthinkable Violence
On the evening of 30 July 2008, 22-year-old Tim McLean was travelling by Greyhound bus to Winnipeg to visit his pregnant girlfriend. The carnival worker's life was brutally cut short when fellow passenger Vincent Weiguang Li launched a sudden and savage attack. Li, who had been sitting quietly at the front of the bus, moved to the rear and sat next to the sleeping McLean before striking.
Armed with a large knife, Li repeatedly stabbed McLean in the neck and chest. The bus driver immediately stopped the vehicle, allowing most terrified passengers to flee. A young veteran and a lorry driver who witnessed the chaos attempted to intervene but were forced back as Li brandished his weapon, preventing anyone from helping his victim.
A Grisly Scene and a Chilling Standoff
What followed was a scene of pure horror that left witnesses physically sick. Li beheaded Tim McLean and, according to multiple reports, began consuming parts of his body. He reportedly displayed the severed head to horrified onlookers trapped outside the bus.
Police discovered a gruesome collection of body parts in Li's pockets, including McLean's ear, tongue, and nose. His heart and eyes were never found, leading authorities to conclude Li had eaten them. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police engaged in a tense five-hour standoff with Li inside the blood-splattered bus. He attempted to escape through a window but was subdued with a Taser and taken into custody.
'Voice of God' Defence and Aftermath
During subsequent investigations, Li claimed he heard the "voice of God" instructing him to kill McLean, whom he believed was an alien threatening mankind. "The voice told me that I was the third story of the Bible, that I was like the second coming of Jesus [and that] I was to save people from a space alien attack," Li stated, while also expressing remorse.
In March 2009, Vincent Li was found not criminally responsible for the killing due to severe mental illness and was committed to the Selkirk Mental Health Centre. This verdict was met with anguish by Tim McLean's family. "[Li] still did it," said Tim's mother, Carol DeDelley. "Whether he was in his right frame of mind or not, he still did the act."
Tim's son was born five months after his murder, described by his grandmother as "a gift from God." In a controversial move, Li was granted an absolute discharge in 2017. He is no longer under mandatory supervision or annual review, lives independently in a Manitoba community, and has changed his name to Will Lee Baker. Tim's father reflected on the enduring pain, stating, "Although we're trying to move forward, it's still an ongoing challenge. I don't believe we will ever fully recover."
