A man who murdered two people on a 黑马磁力 City residential street wants to be released from prison into an Indigenous community 鈥� even though he isn't First Nations.
William James McCotter, now 62, is serving a life sentence for two counts of second-degree murder for killing John Cleaveland Heasman, 37, and Linda Lee Anderson, 39 in 2001.
Anderson鈥檚 restraining order against McCotter had just expired when he attacked her and Heasman.
He knocked them to the ground outside her apartment building, kicked them in the head using steel-toed boots, then beat them both to death with a 2X4.
A B.C. Supreme Court decision posted online Monday, June 23, shows McCotter filed a hand-written application that argued his charter rights were being violated, and he ought to have 鈥渟tate-funded counsel鈥� to challenge his continued detention and seek release into an Indigenous community facility.
He complained corrections authorities have not prepared a 鈥渃ommunity strategy report鈥� that would be required for him to be paroled to a First Nations facility.
His application was rejected by Justice Christopher W. Greenwood, who declared there was 鈥渓ittle merit鈥� to the argument.
In his decision, filed in the Vancouver registry back in April, judge Greenwood noted the double murderer had expressed 鈥渁n interest in being released into an Indigenous community, and although my understanding is that he is not Indigenous, this requires that a community strategy report be prepared.鈥�
But, no Indigenous facility has been willing to accept McCotter, the judge observed.
"No viable community strategy could be developed for his release because thus far the Indigenous community facilities that he expressed interest in do not support his release to their facilities.鈥�
鈥淚n my view, there is little merit in the application as framed," the judge said.
"McCotter鈥檚 rights have not been infringed and an order for state-funded counsel would not be in the interests of justice ... when his application is stripped down to its bare essentials, it amounts to a complaint that corrections authorities consider him a high risk offender and do not sufficiently support his release and are acting unfairly."
Greenwood noted McCotter has been refused parole four times because he is considered to 鈥減resent a high risk of reoffending and had limited insight into his offences.鈥�
At parole board hearings, McCotter has portrayed himself as a victim in an abusive relationship who eventually reacted violently.
Board documents quoted him as commenting 鈥榯hey鈥檙e dead, everybody dies, get over it鈥� in response to questions regarding remorse.
In rejecting his application for release, the parole board has found found that McCotter remains a high risk for violence towards an intimate partner, continues to deflect responsibility, and has exhibited 鈥減aranoid behaviour.鈥�
Currently an inmate of the Mission medium security prison, McCotter has also been cited for 鈥減ushing boundaries and inappropriate behaviour鈥� with female corrections staff and for using "vulgarity鈥� during one parole hearing when he was challenged.
