October 3, 1985
Tim McLean is born.

1992
Vince Li graduates from University of Wuhan Institute of Technology with a Bachelor of Science (Computers).

1994-1998
Vince Li works as a computer software engineer in Beijing.

2001
Vince Li immigrates to Canada with his wife Ana. Resides in Winnipeg.

2002
Vince Li graduates from CDI College (Computer Programming).

2005
Vince Li becomes a Canadian citizen.

September 3-13, 2005
Vincent Li admitted to Osler Health Centre in Etobicoke, Ontario.

2006
Vince Li divorces Ana, moves to Edmonton.

July 28, 2008
Li last delivers newspapers in Edmonton, according to his former boss Vincent Augert.

Tuesday, July 29, approximately 12:30 a.m.
Vince Li boards a Greyhound bus in Edmonton, heading to Thunder Bay, via Winnipeg.

Li purchases the ticket under the name Wong Pent.

Li does not notify his ex-wife that he is leaving, nor what his destination is.

Li leaves his ex-wife a note stating “I’m gone, don’t look for me, I wish you were happy.”

July 29, 5:55 PM
Vince Li gets off the bus in Erickson, Manitoba even though the bus driver (Patrick Delbridge) tries to tell him it isn’t his stop.

There is insufficient time to reissue his ticket, Li spends the next 24 hours in Erickson awaiting the next bus as there is only one bus a day stopping in that town.

Li disposes of most of personal assets by either burning or selling them.

July 30, approximately 12:30 a.m.
Tim McLean boards Greyhound bus 1170 in Edmonton, bound for Winnipeg.

McLean is returning home to Winnipeg after concluding his summer employment on the carnival circuit.

For the duration of the trip McLean is seated at the rear of the bus, passenger side, in front of the washroom.

McLean travels alone, listens to an iPod, sends text messages to friends (indicates he is happy to be on his way home), gets off at scheduled stops, chats with other passengers during cigarette breaks. No conflict with any passengers during trip.

July 30, 6:05 a.m.
Vince Li, in Erickson, MB, calls his ex-wife. Li tells Ana he will return to Edmonton when he is "set up."

July 30, 5:55 p.m.
Li boards Greyhound bus 1170 for Winnipeg.

Li does not have ticket for Winnipeg, but a ticket for Thunder Bay via Winnipeg.

Li sits in the third or fourth row from the front.

The bus is relatively full carrying 36 of a possible 55 passengers.

Passenger Marlene Gregory boards the bus in Erickson, MB. Before boarding she notices Li appearing “agitated and a little distraught," and that he "was pacing back and forth and talking to himself in a language believed to be Chinese.”

McLean gets off the bus between Brandon and Portage la Prairie for a cigarette break.

When he returns to his seat, Li moves to the back of the bus and sits beside McLean. The two do not converse.

Stacey Heath who is sitting at the back of the bus, drivers side, beside the washroom, notices a black handled knife in a sheath on Mr Li’s side, when he gets up to use the washroom.

July 30, approximately 8:30 p.m.
Approximately 18 km west of Portage la Prairie Li begins to stab McLean for no apparent reason.

Passenger Stephen Allison rushes to front of bus to alert bus driver, who pulls the bus over to side of the road.

Passengers, who were either sleeping or watching a movie, leave the bus unharmed.

Tim McLean struggled and tried to escape as evidenced by defensive wounds. He was unsuccessful, his window seat and the seats in front of him preventing his escape. He either fell or was thrown to the floor of the bus.

Li seems oblivious to the demands of driver Bruce Martin to stop what he was doing.

Li comes to front of the bus and tries to exit. Martin closes door on Li’s arm with knife protruding outside. Li pulls his arm back in and returns to the back of the bus where he continues to defile McLeans body.

Once everyone has left the bus and bus door has been closed Martin calls 911.

As bus 1170 pulls over to the side of the road, Bernie Scyrup, the driver of a Greyhound bus behind 1170 notes that this is unusual and pulls over his bus in front of 1170.

Truck driver Chris Alguire has also pulled off the road to offer assistance.

Scyrup and truck driver Chris Alguire, board bus 1170 and calls out to Li who continues to stab Tim McLean’s body. Li says to Scyrup, “get emergency.” Scyrup notes that Li is severing the head of McLean. Scyrup leaves the bus.

July 30, around 9 p.m.
RCMP officers from Portage la Prairie attend scene.

July 30, 11 p.m.
RCMP Emergency Response Team members arrive on the scene relieve the uniformed officers.

July 31, approximately 1:20 a.m.
Mr. Li breaks open a window on the bus, throws out some personal belongings and the knife believed to be the murder weapon. He then jumps out of the bus head first, landing on the knife.

RCMP officers immediately attempt to apprehend him. As he struggles and screams police officers taser him “several times.”

Li is taken to Portage General Hospital for treatment of a gash on his right hand and a cut to his head behind his right ear. While at the hospital Li states “I’m sorry” a number of times but does not explain what he is sorry for.

July 31, 6:15 p.m.
RCMP officers attempt to get a statement from Li.

August 6
At the request of the Crown Attorney, Judge Michel Chartier ordered an assessment of the mental condition of Mr. Li to address both fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility. Li meets with Manitoba’s chief forensic psychiatrist Dr Stanley Yaren for what would be the first of 19 court-ordered assessment interviews to judge Li’s fitness to stand trial.

August 1
RCMP interview Li’s estranged wife.

September 2
The McLean family files a statement of claim in Winnipeg suing Vince Li, Greyhound Canada and the Attorney General of Canada.

Mid-September
Li calls his parents in Northeastern China from the Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre.

September 17
Psychiatric Assessment Report by Dr. Stanley Yaren, Director of Forensic Services, Winnipeg Health Sciences Centre issued to court. Yaren concludes that Li should not be found criminally responsible.

October 30
Jonathan Rootenberg a forensic psychiatrist with CAMH in Toronto conducts assessment interview with Vincent Li at the Winnipeg Remand Centre for the defense.

February 11, 2009
Jonathan Rootenberg submits his psychiatric assessment to the defense. He concludes that Li has a defense of not criminally responsible. (See Rootenberg assessment report.)

March 5
Based on the psych assessments put forward by the Crown and the Defense, Justice John Scurfield concludes that Mr. Li is not criminally responsible for the murder of Tim Mclean because of his mental illness. Li is held for treatment at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre in Selkirk, MB.