The Nightmare Journey That Ended in Cannibalism
In one of Canada's most disturbing criminal cases, a father-to-be was brutally beheaded and partially eaten by a fellow passenger during a routine bus journey. Tim McLean, a 22-year-old carnival worker, was travelling to Winnipeg to visit his pregnant girlfriend when his life was violently taken by Vincent Weiguang Li in a shocking attack that left witnesses traumatised.
The horrific incident unfolded on July 30, 2008, aboard a Greyhound bus travelling through Manitoba. McLean had been quietly listening to music at the back of the vehicle when Li boarded. Passengers noted Li appeared agitated but initially sat quietly at the front before making his fateful move to the rear of the bus.
A Frenzied Attack While Passengers Watched
At approximately 8:30 PM, with McLean asleep against the window, Li launched a sudden and vicious assault. Armed with a large knife, Li repeatedly stabbed the younger man in the neck and chest in what witnesses described as a frenzied attack.
The bus driver immediately pulled over, allowing most passengers to escape. However, one brave young veteran attempted to intervene with assistance from a truck driver who had witnessed the commotion. Their efforts proved futile as Li brandished his weapon, keeping would-be rescuers at bay.
In a particularly gruesome moment that caused onlookers to vomit, Li lifted McLean's severed head to the window for all to see. He then began consuming parts of his victim's flesh in full view of horrified witnesses.
The Aftermath and Controversial Outcome
When Royal Canadian Mounted Police arrived at the scene, they discovered Li still aboard the blood-soaked coach. Over five tense hours, Li attempted to escape by smashing windows before being subdued with a Taser and arrested.
During subsequent investigations, police made a chilling discovery: Li had kept McLean's ear, tongue and nose in his pockets. Even more disturbing was what remained missing - the victim's heart and eyes, which investigators believe Li consumed during the attack.
Li later claimed that "the voice of God" had instructed him to protect humanity from an alien invasion. He explained that the voice identified him as "the second coming of Jesus" and directed him to murder McLean, whom he believed to be an alien threat.
In a controversial legal decision in March 2009, Li was found not criminally responsible for the murder due to mental illness. He was committed to the Selkirk Mental Health Centre rather than facing criminal prosecution.
Tim McLean's family expressed profound distress at this outcome. His mother, Carol DeDelley, stated: "[Li] still did it. Whether he was in his right frame of mind or not, he still did the act. There was nobody else on that bus, holding a knife, slicing up my child."
In a development that added further pain for the McLean family, Li was granted an absolute discharge in 2017. He now lives freely in a Manitoba community under the name Will Lee Baker, no longer subject to mandatory reviews or close monitoring.
Tragically, McLean never met his son, who was born five months after his death. His mother described her grandson as "a gift from God, and I believe Tim sent him to me", providing some comfort amidst enduring grief.
