The Greyhound Bus Cannibal

On July 30, 2008, just after midnight, Greyhound bus 1170 departed on a 24-hour journey to British Columbia. The bus contained many passengers, including Tim Mclean. 

Tim Mclean grew up in Elie, Manitoba. He was born on October 3, 1985, and according to friends and family was a very outgoing and fun-loving guy. Tim loved to meet new people and see new places. This contributed to him taking a job working and traveling with a carnival. He loved his job and was very passionate about it. 

He had a girlfriend named Colleen during this time, whom he had known since high school. She was recently divorced and they had reconnected and were expecting a child together. 

Tim was working the carnival in Edmonton when he decided that he would head home to Winnipeg to prepare and make arrangements for his move to British Columbia. He had several friends reach out and offer to help him buy an airplane ticket back home because the bus ride he had planned to take was going to be 24 hours long. However, Tim insisted on riding the Greyhound bus all the way back to Winnipeg.

The day before Vince Li, who had been born in China and had recently left his wife via a note saying "I'm gone. Don't look for me. I wish you were happy." boarded a different bus. He spent the night on a bench near the bus station and boarded bus 1170 the next day… the same bus that was carrying Tim Mclean. 

Before boarding the bus Vince sold some of his luggage, including his laptop and other personal belongings. Passengers recall that Vince was a tall man, in his 40's and when he boarded the bus he seemed to be minding his own business. He took a seat near the front of the bus and the journey continued. 

A scheduled rest stop comes up and the passengers step off for snacks or to stretch their legs and use the restroom. When the passengers reboard the bus Vince relocated to the back of the bus and sits next to the empty seat beside Tim.

Witnesses say it didn't seem like the two men knew each other, but that Tim was friendly towards him when he sat down.

Tim puts on his headphones and is listening to music and leaning his head against the window, presumably trying to fall asleep. It's getting later so there are passengers sleeping, reading, or watching The Return of Zorro which happened to be playing on the bus's TVs.

The bus's passengers are jolted awake around 8:30 PM to the sound of intense and terrifying screaming. It was clear to the other passengers that the screams were coming from the back of the bus. 

According to witnesses, it was around 8:30 PM and Tim was sleeping with his headphones on when the man next to him pulled out a large knife from his bag and begins to stab Tim in the neck and chest.

Witnesses say that Tim tried to fight back, but he was either thrown or fell onto the floor of the bus which made it difficult for him to escape.

The driver is yelling for Vince to stop and pulls over to the side of the road. The rest of the passengers quickly escape the bus, but the driver remains, pleading with Vince to stop. However, Vince began to come toward him with a knife so the driver decided to get off and join the rest of the passengers outside. They then barricaded the door and called the police. 

Vince continues to brutally assault and mutilate Tim. During this time another Greyhound Bus driver pulls over. He wanted to go on the bus and try to find out if Tim was still alive. He repeatedly asks Vince to stop, but the only response he gets from Vince is "Get emergency."

The bus driver notices that Vince is beheading and mutilating Tim's body. That's when he realizes that he cannot save Tim, and decides to return to the safety outside of the bus.

They cut the power on the bus to prevent Vince from starting the bus up and attempting to drive away.

When Vince realizes that he cannot escape through the barricaded door or drive away he becomes increasingly frustrated and continues to maim Tim.

At 9 PM police officials finally arrive at the scene. They're trying to negotiate with Vince, but none of this is working. Vince loudly claimed, "I'm going to stay on this bus forever."

Vince made a show of the horrific things he was doing to Tim, and he would parade different pieces of Tim's body that he had mutilated in front of the window for all of the passengers outside the bus to see. He even carries Tim's severed head, displaying it through the bus windows.

Between 9:30 and 10 PM, the other passengers are transported to the police station to be interviewed. After questioning a Greyhound representative arrived to take them to replace their clothes and then they were switched over to another bus in order to take the passengers home.

On July 31, 2008, at 1:20 AM Vince breaks one of the windows in the back of the bus and throws his weapons and other belongings out, then he throws himself out of the back window and is restrained by police.

When the police finally are able to get on the bus they are greeted by a gruesome scene. The bus is bloody and pieces of Tim's body have been placed in different garbage bags along the bus. They are unable to find Tim's ears, nose, and tongue which they later locate inside Vince's pockets.

Tim's eyes and part of his heart were never recovered and it is believed that Vince ate them.

Vince went to trial on March 3, 2009. Vince pleads not criminally responsible due to his schizophrenia diagnosis. He told the court that there were voices in his head telling him he was in danger. He said the voice of God told him that he had to kill Tim or he would die immediately.

Vince was charged with second-degree murder but was found not criminally responsible because he had failed to take his schizophrenia medication.

Vince was required to be held at a mental hospital to get the help he needed but would go on to be fully discharged.

In February of 2016 Vince legally changed his name to Will Baker and left his group home. He is currently living independently and the people who work with him closely say they feel he is not a danger as long as he is receiving the help he needs.

All of the passengers on the bus have faced difficulties due to this traumatic incident. This awful murder had lasting effects on those who were witnesses, Every single person on that bus was a victim.

A passenger who gave birth several years later suffered from PTSD, and this resulted in her being unable to care for her child who would be placed in foster care before being returned to her.

The truck driver that stopped to help the passengers came forward and spoke about his struggles with alcoholism and PTSD. He said he became afraid to fall asleep without the help of alcohol because of the horrible nightmares he continued to have.

The story of the Greyhound Bus Cannibal is vicious and brutal. There was more than one victim and the other passengers on the bus were failed by the system. They protected Vince Li and his mental health, but they failed to provide true help and effective resources for the other passengers.