A heartbroken father who's familiar with serious criminal investigations said he and his family are "just distraught" over the murder of his son and his son's girlfriend in northern B.C.

Speaking with reporters today, New South Wales Police Chief Inspector Stephen Fowler said that the deaths of his son, Lucas, and Chynna Deese have torn two families apart.

Deese is from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Their bodies were found near their blue minivan on July 15 along the Alaska Highway south of Liard Hot Springs.

"Our son Lucas was having the time of his life travelling the world," Fowler said. "He met a beautiful young lady and they teamed up. They were a great pair. And they fell in love. We were overjoyed for Lucas."

Fowler said that the family had been in contact with their son and discussed the trip that he and Deese were about to take.

"What happened after that—time will tell, I guess," Fowler said.

He emphasized that the family is appealing for anyone who may have any information whatsoever to contact the police.

Fowler described his son as a "fun-loving guy" with a goal to travel the world. 

"He saved up all his money whilst he was working in Sydney. He set out on an adventure with a mate," the veteran police officer said. "Along that tour, he met Chynna and they became an inseparable pair. It's a love story that has ended tragically. It really is.

"It's the worst ever love story because we now have two young people who had everything ahead of them tragically murdered."

Fowler expressed gratitude to the New South Wales Police commissioner and the Australian government for providing two detectives to act as liaisons between the family and the Mounties.

He also said that he and his family "are more than satisfied" with the resources being allocated by the RCMP to the investigation. 

And Fowler added that he's "more than confident in the commitment of all the officers who are working on this case".

"Look, as a police officer, you work with families all the time. And you get a feel for the lay of the land, as you see," he said. "But nothing prepares me, nothing prepares my family, for what we are going through now."