The family of an Australian man killed with his girlfriend on the side of a Canadian highway say they are "crushed" as her family raise concerns that their killer has had a three day head start in evading authorities.

The bodies of Sydney man Lucas Fowler, 23 and American Chynna Deese, 24, were discovered shot dead by the side of the Alaska Highway in the north of British Columbia about 7am on Monday.

Transiting at Los Angeles aiport on his way to Canada, Mr Fowler's father, NSW police chief inspector Stephen Fowler said his son was "just a wonderful boy".

Lucas Fowler and his American partner who were both found dead by the side of the Alaska Highway.

"He's a loss to so many people. And his girlfriend also – it's just devastating. And our heart goes out to the whole of her family," he told Nine news. "We are just crushed."

Two experienced NSW homicide detectives have also travelled to Canada to help as liaisons.

Ms Deese's father, Dwayne Deese told The Charlotte Observer, that it took police three days to identify the bodies and that their deaths must have been violent.

“I don’t think it’s a serial killer," Mr Deese he told the US paper. "I think of someone who has been convicted of violent crimes before, someone on drugs. That fits the profile better.

“What worries us is that person is still on the loose and they have a head start. This is going to happen again. There needs to be some kind of a warning system in place for tourists.”

The couple were experiened travellers – having met at a hostel in Croatia in 2017 and visited Europe, Asia and Central America together. They had just begun an extended road trip through Canada in a blue 1986 Chevrolet van.

Mr Fowler had recently moved to Canada and secured a job on a cattle ranch. Ms Deese's brother, British Deese, said the pair were "deeply in love".

A third body was found on the highway last week and while the Royal Canandian Mounted Police  are examining all leads, with 30 detectives on the case, they do not believe that death is linked to that of the couple.

Witnesses have said they drove past the pair on the Sunday afternoon and at least one stopped after seeing their van had broken down.

Locals Sandra and Curtis Broughton said the couple were relaxed and sitting in armchairs when they pulled up on the side of the road to offer them help.

“Maybe the van over heated or broke down,” British Deese told The Charlotte Observer. “Something happened on that road, some sort of conflict. We don’t know because they (Canadian authorities) are not telling us anything.”

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