Killing of Tim McLean

The Attack on Greyhound Bus 1170

On the evening of July 30, 2008, Tim McLean was returning home to Winnipeg after working at a fair in Edmonton. He was seated near the rear of Greyhound bus 1170. Vince Li boarded the bus in Erickson, Manitoba, and after a rest stop in Brandon, he moved to sit next to the sleeping McLean. Without warning, Li produced a large knife and began stabbing McLean in the neck and chest. The bus driver immediately pulled the vehicle to the side of the Trans-Canada Highway and fled with all other passengers.

The driver and two other men attempted to re-enter the bus to help McLean but were chased away by Li, who slashed at them from behind the locked doors. Left alone on the bus, Li decapitated McLean and displayed the severed head to those outside. He then proceeded to mutilate the body and consume parts of McLean's flesh. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police were called and arrived to find a standoff, with Li alternately pacing the bus and defiling the corpse over several hours. Police heard Li say he had to stay on the bus forever. He was finally arrested at 1:30 a.m. on July 31 after trying to break a window to escape.

When police searched the bus and Li, they found parts of McLean's body placed in plastic bags. McLean's ear, nose, and tongue were discovered in Li's pockets. His eyes and a part of his heart were never recovered and are presumed to have been eaten. The traumatized passengers were interviewed by the RCMP in Brandon. Greyhound representatives later took them to a store to replace their bloodstained clothing before they finally continued on to Winnipeg.

Tim McLean

Timothy Richard McLean Jr. was born on October 3, 1985, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. He was 22 years old at the time of his murder and had been working as a carnival barker. He grew up in Winnipeg and Elie, Manitoba. Five months after his death, his girlfriend, Colleen Yestrau, gave birth to his son on December 21, 2008. A protracted custody dispute followed between Yestrau and McLean's parents. The boy began living with the McLean family in January 2015, and they won full custody in February 2016. McLean's mother has described her grandson as a gift from God sent by her son. Due to subsequent family disputes, the boy has remained with McLean's mother, and neither Yestrau nor McLean's father have seen him since 2018 and 2016, respectively.

Vince Li's Background and Mental Health

Vincent Weiguang Li was born on April 30, 1968, in Dandong, China. He immigrated to Canada in June 2001 and became a Canadian citizen in November 2006. According to psychiatric assessments presented at his trial, Li suffered from undiagnosed and untreated schizophrenia. He reported hearing the voice of God, which told him he was the second coming of Jesus, destined to save people from an alien invasion. The voice commanded him to travel across Canada, often disappearing for days. Due to paranoid delusions about alien infiltrators, Li began carrying a buck knife for protection, the same weapon used to kill McLean.

His mental health deteriorated in the years before the attack. In 2005, he was found wandering a highway in Ontario, malnourished and dehydrated, stating he was following the sun at God's command. Although examined at a health centre, he was not formally diagnosed at that time. Li's wife and friends had attempted to get him medical help for his auditory hallucinations, but he refused due to a fear of hospitals. The couple separated and later divorced. In the weeks before the killing, Li's mental state worsened rapidly. He was fired from a job at Walmart, and he left his ex-wife a note saying not to look for him before boarding the bus in Edmonton.

Legal Proceedings and the NCR Verdict

Vince Li was charged with second-degree murder. His trial began on March 3, 2009, in Winnipeg. Li pleaded not criminally responsible (NCR) on account of a mental disorder. This plea meant he accepted the physical acts occurred but argued he could not form the necessary criminal intent due to his illness. The court heard psychiatric evidence from Dr. Stanley Yaren, who testified that Li's schizophrenia rendered him incapable of appreciating the nature of his actions. Li believed McLean was a demon or alien force of evil that needed to be destroyed to prevent it from coming back to life.

Both the defence and prosecution agreed with the psychiatric assessment. On March 5, 2009, Judge John Scurfield found Li not criminally responsible for the killing. The judge accepted that Li was experiencing acute schizophrenia at the time and could not be held morally culpable. Li was remanded to the high-security section of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre under the jurisdiction of the Manitoba Criminal Code Review Board, which would oversee his treatment and any future release.

Li's Treatment and Gradual Release

Under the review board's supervision, Vince Li received treatment, including the antipsychotic medication olanzapine. His privileges were gradually increased based on assessments of his progress and risk to the public. In 2010, he was granted supervised outdoor walks on the facility grounds. By 2012, he received temporary supervised passes to visit the town of Selkirk. In a rare public interview that year, Li expressed remorse, apologizing to McLean's mother and stating he could never forget the bus or be happy again.

His freedoms continued to expand. In 2014, he began receiving unsupervised visits to Selkirk. By February 2015, he was given unsupervised day passes to Winnipeg. On May 8, 2015, he was moved to a community group home. In 2016, it was reported Li had legally changed his name to Will Lee Baker. The review board subsequently granted him the right to live independently. Finally, on February 10, 2017, the board ordered Li be given an absolute discharge. This meant he was released from all legal obligations and restrictions, with no requirement for continued monitoring or treatment.

Aftermath and Public Reaction

The murder had immediate and lasting repercussions. Greyhound Canada pulled a national advertising campaign with the slogan about bus rage. The incident sparked calls for increased security on intercity buses. McLean's family filed a lawsuit seeking $150,000 against Greyhound, the Attorney General of Canada, and Vince Li, which as of 2018 was described as being in limbo. Two passengers who witnessed the attack also filed a lawsuit seeking millions in damages, which they dropped in 2015. In July 2014, one of the first RCMP officers on the scene, Corporal Ken Barker, died by suicide. His family attributed his death to post-traumatic stress disorder from the incident.

The case became a flashpoint for debate over Canada's not criminally responsible defence. McLean's mother, Carol de Delley, became a vocal advocate for victim rights. She criticized the NCR system for focusing on the perpetrator's needs. She felt the system showed insufficient regard for public safety or victims. She stated that Li's release and ability to change his name represent an ongoing injustice. She noted the public has no idea where he is and he is not required to report or continue treatment for his lifelong illness.

Advocacy for 'Tim's Law'

In the years following the murder and Li's release, Tim McLean's family intensified lobbying efforts for victim protection legislation they named Tim's Law. Proposed by his mother, the law would aim to put victim rights ahead of those of the perpetrator in certain violent crimes. The family's stated goal is to prevent individuals found not criminally responsible for the most violent acts from being released back into the community. They advocate for such individuals to face incarceration for life with no possibility of parole. The family has raised awareness and funds for their campaign by selling T-shirts and other items. They argue the current system, which requires review boards to impose the least onerous conditions on a patient, is flawed when it comes to individuals who have committed acts of extreme violence. McLean's aunt has stated the family wants to ensure his life was not wasted and to inspire change that provides more support to protect victims rather than the person found guilty. The campaign continues to highlight the tension between treating mental illness and ensuring public safety.

Questions about Killing of Tim McLean

What happened to Tim McLean on the Greyhound bus?

On July 30, 2008, Tim McLean was attacked by fellow passenger Vince Li while riding a Greyhound Canada bus near Portage la Prairie, Manitoba. Li stabbed McLean in the neck and chest with a large knife. Li then decapitated McLean and displayed his severed head to those outside the bus. Li began severing other parts of McLean's body and consuming his flesh. This went on for some hours before police arrested Li in the early morning of July 31.

Why was Vince Li found not criminally responsible?

Vince Li was found not criminally responsible for murder on March 5, 2009. The court determined he was schizophrenic at the time of the killing. His court psychiatrist stated Li was under the false belief that McLean was a force of evil and an alien who needed to be destroyed. Li also felt pressured to attack by voices he believed were from God. The judge accepted the diagnosis that his schizophrenia rendered him unable to form the necessary mental element for the crime.

Where is Vince Li now?

Vince Li, who legally changed his name to Will Lee Baker, was granted an absolute discharge by the Manitoba Criminal Code Review Board on February 10, 2017. This discharge means he was released from all legal obligations, restrictions, and supervision. He is not required to report his whereabouts or continue treatment. His current location is not publicly known.

What is Tim's Law?

Tim's Law is proposed victim protection legislation advocated for by the family of Tim McLean. It aims to put victim rights ahead of perpetrator rights in cases of extreme violence. The law would seek to prevent individuals found not criminally responsible for the most violent crimes from being released into the community, instead advocating for lifetime incarceration with no parole. The family continues to lobby for this change.

Did the bus company or police face any legal action?

Yes, several lawsuits were filed. The family of Tim McLean brought a lawsuit of $150,000 against Greyhound, the Attorney General of Canada, and Vince Li. As of July 2018, the lawsuit was described as being in limbo. Two passengers filed a lawsuit against Li, Greyhound, the RCMP, and the Canadian government for being exposed to the beheading. They were each seeking $3 million in damages but dropped their lawsuit in July 2015.

How did the case affect Canada's mental health and justice systems?

The case ignited intense national debate about the not criminally responsible defence. It led to numerous calls and petitions demanding increased security on intercity buses. The incident became a flashpoint for debate over public safety and the treatment of severely mentally ill individuals. The gradual release of Vince Li led to criticism from victims' rights advocates like McLean's mother. She criticized the system for focusing on the perpetrator's needs with insufficient regard for public safety or victims.

Sources: Wikipedia and current public reporting, checked by the Nosy Mag desk. Last updated 2026-10-19.