Random Facts About The Horrific Murder Of Tim McLean Aboard A Greyhound Bus (11 items)

(#5) Li Reportedly Killed McLean Without Expressing Emotion

Dozens of witnesses were present when Li changed his seat and positioned himself next to the sleeping McLean. Just moments after the bus began moving, Li reportedly pulled out a large hunting knife and began stabbing McLean in the neck and chest. McLean awoke and began screaming - a scream that haunted many of the other passengers years afterward.
As Li attacked McLean, he was reportedly calm and methodical, never changing his expression or displaying emotion. Fellow passengers said they were shocked by his lack of rage and the almost robotic way in which he committed the act; according to one witness, he stabbed McLean nearly 60 times.
As screams of horror filled the bus and the driver quickly pulled to the side of the road, Li began to cut off McLean's head and dismember his body.
(#9) The Scene Was Reportedly Also Mentally Scarring For The Responding Officers

When police boarded the bus, they were faced with an intensely gruesome scene. Not only had Li dismembered McLean, but some of his body parts were missing. When RCMP searched Li, they found the victim's nose and tongue in his pocket. Findings later revealed McLean's eyes and part of his heart were never recovered - Li supposedly ate them during the attack.
The horror of the situation took its toll on everyone involved. The RCMP officer who first boarded the bus reportedly never recovered from the shock. Said to be burdened and overwhelmed by his PTSD, the officer took his own life six years after McLean's murder.
(#11) Li Became A Free Man In 2017

Li was reportedly a cooperative patient during his time at Selkirk Mental Health Centre in Manitoba and was eventually granted the privileges of going outside and seeing visitors. In 2015, Li was allowed to stay at group homes and was living in his own apartment in Manitoba by November 2016.
In 2017, Li, under the new name Will Baker, was granted an absolute discharge and was no longer considered a threat to others. At the time, the review board that granted his discharge stated it was "of the opinion that the weight of evidence does not substantiate that Mr. Baker poses a significant threat to the safety of the public.”
In a separate interview in 2012, Baker expressed remorse for what he had done, apologized to McLean's family, and stated that he no longer heard voices or believed in aliens.
(#2) Vince Li Boarded The Bus Later Than Evening In Manitoba

Around 6 pm on July 30, 2008, 40-year-old Vince Li boarded bus 1170 at a stop in Erickson, Manitoba. Some other passengers later claimed Li seemed agitated and possibly confused as he climbed aboard, but he did not seem to be a threat.
Li chose a seat near the front of the bus, spoke to no one, and eventually disembarked briefly at a rest stop to smoke a cigarette. When Li returned to the bus, he walked past his original seat and instead sat next to Tim McLean towards the rear.
(#1) Tim McLean Was Traveling Home From A Work Trip The Day He Was Killed

Tim McLean had recently taken up employment as a carnival barker when he boarded Greyhound Canada bus 1170 on July 30, 2008. The 22-year-old had been working at a fair in Edmonton, Alberta, and was heading back to his home in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
McLean reportedly sat towards the back of the bus upon boarding and put in headphones before falling asleep with his head leaning against a window.
Born on October 3, 1985, McLean was an active athlete and a beloved son, brother, and uncle with a large extended family. He was known as an adventurous person who loved traveling and meeting new people. Five months after his murder, his son was born on December 21, 2008.
(#6) Witnesses Attempted To Help McLean

As soon as the bus driver became aware of the stabbing, he quickly pulled the bus off the road. Most passengers ran from the bus for safety, but one passenger, 26-year-old Garnet Caton, who had served five years in the Canadian Forces, tried to get others to help him overpower Li. When he was unsuccessful, Caton exited the bus, where he was met by a truck driver who had pulled over to offer assistance.
Caton and the driver attempted to use a hammer and crowbar to injure Li, but Li tried to attack them with his knife. Eventually, the men managed to lock Li inside the bus so he couldn't escape.
Li then cut off McLean's head and held it up to one of the bus windows in sight of the other passengers. Li then reportedly dropped McLean's head on the bus floor and proceeded to dismember the body.