'Everybody would fear him,' former partner says of man wanted in Portage la Prairie triple homicide

A Portage la Prairie man wanted in the homicide of his wife and two young children has a history of domestic violence, according to a former partner. 

Trevis McLeod displayed violent tendencies early on in their relationship, the woman says.

"He's just very violent. He doesn't hesitate. He doesn't care who's around — he will scream, he will yell, he will hit you. He will say horrible, horrible things.… He's just a very, very vicious man," she said. 

McLeod is now wanted on three counts of second-degree murder and an arson charge, after the bodies of his 32-year-old wife and their two children — a six-year-old girl and a three-year-old boy — were found in a Portage la Prairie home last Sunday morning by crews responding to a fire.

Shortly after the fire, McLeod was arrested and charged for an assault of another family member, but was released. At the time RCMP did not have enough evidence to keep McLeod in custody in connection with the homicides and fire. 

Police are now searching for McLeod, and say he was spotted in Winnipeg as recently as Tuesday.

McLeod's former partner told CBC she had a protection order against him, for her and one of her children. 

She no longer lives in Manitoba. CBC is not naming the woman because she is a victim of domestic violence.

The two met in Portage la Prairie when they were 17 years old. At the time, McLeod lived with his family in Oakville, Man., a short drive from Portage la Prairie.

She told CBC McLeod had violent outbursts that were often triggered by alcohol. 

"[It] was almost like he was allergic.… When he would drink alcohol, you saw the real side of him," she said. 

"Everybody would fear him, even his own family.… His father, his mother, everybody would fear Trevis once he started drinking." 

Felt 'like I was a punching bag'

Shortly after they started dating, the couple had their first child. At the time, they lived with McLeod's family.

"He would hit me, he would yell at me in front of family members. No one would ever stick up for me," she said. 

"It made me feel awful, like I was erased. Like I was a nobody. Like I was their puppet. Like I was a punching bag." 

The couple eventually moved to Alberta, where McLeod began getting more work as an independent drywaller.

It was at that point the violence also ramped up. 

"He would trash the whole house, he would break things … all the mess he would leave would be a constant reminder that he was here and that it might happen again." 

In one particularly violent incident, McLeod smashed through the back door and came after her with a knife, the woman says. Her two sons were there. The older one had to barricade the door to protect her and the younger child.

Asked how many times she thinks McLeod assaulted her, she said "a lot." 

"He would beat me up really bad, and we'd end up going in and out of women's shelters. And then I would go back because I had nothing," she said. 

"He can talk his way out of a wet paper bag. He has that kind of narcissistic personality where, you know, he sounds very believable and very loving and then the next minute … he'll turn on you."

She is speaking out now because the deaths in Portage la Prairie could have been prevented, she says.

"Somebody needs to speak for these two kids and [his wife], and I'm willing to do that," she said.

"My heart aches to the core … for these little ones."