Another group has joined the fight against a Prince George serial killer’s move from a maximum security prison to a medium.
Four women were brutally murdered by Cody Legebokoff, who was only 24 years old when he was convicted of those crimes in September, 2014.
His victims were Loren Leslie, 15, Natasha Montgomery, 23, Jill Stuchenko and Cynthia Maas, who were both 35.
Montgomery’s remains have never been found; Legebokoff hasn’t revealed the location.
In January, he was transferred from BC’s Kent Institution, a maximum security prison, to medium security Warkworth Institution in Ontario.
Sarah Boyd, Executive Director of the Northern Women’s Centre at UNBC, has drafted a letter to send to Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, urging them to reverse the move.
“It seems like offender’s rights get priority over victim’s rights. I wanted to make a statement, and I guess be a voice for them,” Boyd said.
Prince George-Cariboo MP Todd Doherty also publicly called out the Minister to take action after the transfer of Legebokoff was made public.
Both Doherty and Boyd said there hasn’t been consistent notification of Legebokoff’s transfers and movements to the victim’s families.
In one case, a victim’s mother, Louanne Montgomery, said she received a registered letter on Jan. 31st, 2019 from Victim’s Services stating that Legebokoff had been transferred on Jan. 23rd.
In a letter correspondence with MyPGNow, the Minister of Public Safety said “Canadians are better protected when offenders are gradually prepared for potential supervised release. The alternative – releasing offenders “cold turkey” from maximum security into our communities – is far less safe.”
However for Boyd, the issue is not the rehabilitation of Legebokoff, but the timeline in which it is beginning.
“I think he is being prepped pretty early for his eventual release, it’s only been five years. He still has no remorse or regret about the murders.”
She said there’s been a lack of reaction from Prince George residents in light of the move.
“There hasn’t been a huge uproar about this in our community. There were four women who were brutally murdered here and I’m not seeing a public outcry about it.”
“This could be your next door neighbour, this could be your friend. We tend to think that this kind of thing happens somewhere else, not in my network of friends or contacts. But the thing I’m always left with is that this could happen to anyone. I think we need to rally and really support the victim’s families.”
Boyd urges concerned people to sign and send the letter, found below, and send it to Minister Goodale.
She welcomes anyone to add their own comments into the script if they would like to.
PROTEST CODY LEGEBOKOFF’S MOVE FROM MAXIMUM TO MEDIUM SECURITY
PRISON!!!
Minister of Public Safety and Emergency
Preparedness
House of Commons
Parliament Buildings
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
[DATE]
Dear Minister Ralph Goodale,
As Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, it is your overarching
responsibiliity to lead the Liberal government’s work in ensuring that you are
keeping Canadians safe.
This letter is to inform you, Minister Goodale, that I do not feel safe.
On January 23, 2019, Cody Legebokoff, Canada’s youngest convicted serial killer,
charged with the heinous murders of four young women, was moved from Kent
Institution, a maximum-security prison, to Warkworth Institution, a medium-
security prison.
In 2014, Legebokoff was convicted of brutally murdering four innocent women:
Loren Donn Leslie, 15, Natasha Montgomery, 23, Jill Stuchenko, 35, and Cynthia
Mass, 35. Legebokoff has not taken responsibility for these murders, nor has he
shown any signs of remorse or regret for any of the four murders.
Legebokoff has demonstrated his lack of remorse by withholding information
regarding the whereabouts of Natasha Montgomery’s body. Furthermore,
Legebokoff used the whereabouts of her body as leverage during his unsuccessful
appeal in 2015. This continues to torture the Montgomery family as Natasha’s body
has never been found. The Montgomery’s are still searching for their daughter’s
body. Where does the care and respect towards victim’s families factor into all of
this?
Louanne Montgomery, Natasha Montgomery’s mother, stated that every time
Legebokoff went to the doctor or left the maximum-security facility, she would
receive a phone call. However, when he was moved to a medium security prison,
she was only notified by mail. Furthermore, two out of the four victims’ families
were not notified of his move at all. If this is an issue with the Federal/Provincial
Victim Notification Programs, then something needs to be done to guarantee these
processes are keeping victim’s families continuously informed and updated on
Legebokoff’s movements and whereabouts.
Mr. Goodale, in your correspondence with MyPGNow News, you stated that,
“Canadians are better protected when offenders are gradually prepared for
potential supervised release. The alternative – releasing offenders ‘cold turkey’ from
maximum security into our communities – is far less safe.” Given that Legebokoff
has been sentenced to life without parole for 25 years, and has only served five
years of his life sentence behind a maximum-security prison, please explain how
this statement applies to Legebokoff’s case? This is not the time to gradually
prepare him for a supervised release. In fact, B.C. Supreme Court Justice, Glen
Parrett, said that Legebokoff “should never be allowed to walk among us again.”
Therefore, how do you sanction this move from maximum to medium security?
If Legebokoff has ever received a psychological assessment, this information has
never been released to the public. However, Legebokoff shows clear signs of
harbouring psychopathic and sociopathic tendencies. Psychopaths show a blatant
disregard for laws and the rights of others, a failure to feel remorse or guilt, and a
tendency to display violent behaviour. All of which Legebokoff displays in his
inability to see his victims as human beings, his exaggerated and untruthful
explanation of events that took place during the murders, and his blatant disregard
for the pain and suffering of the victims and their families. Sociopaths are described
as personally charming, intelligent, superficial, outwardly friendly, and extremely
dangerous. Again, all characteristics that Legebokoff portrays. Additionally,
according to the Journal of Police Science and Administration, psychopaths and
sociopaths are described as personality types that can never be rehabilitated.
If Legebokoff completes the rehabilitation programs available to him in medium
security prison, he will only learn more pro-social skills that will assist him to be a
smarter, more discrete and efficient murderer.
In closing, Minister Goodale, I am extremely fearful that Legebokoff will either
escape medium-security prison or he will be released and still young enough to
continue with his brutality towards women. I ask you to fulfill your duty as Minister
of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness and keep all Canadians safe by
moving Legebokoff back to a maximum-security prison and re-evaluate the process
of rehabilitation in his case so that he is never released. This is the only way to
ensure Canadians will be guaranteed safety.
In appreciation,
[Your Details]