The man who was convicted of murdering a University of Victoria student in 1987 has been granted day parole.
In January 1987, UVIC student Marguerite Telesford went missing. Her body was never found, but evidence led to the conviction of Scott Mackay for her murder. Mackay is serving a life sentence for his conviction.
The convicted killer is also a person of interest in another unsolved homicide case and has been convicted for two attacks on sex trade workers.
Now, Mackay has been granted six months of day parole, after six unsuccessful applications, despite the parole board saying Mackay has a high risk for “violent reoffending.”
Victim rights advocate Dave Teixeira is calling the decision “baffling.”
“He has not demonstrated remorse, or cooperation, in the long term to bring closure to this family and it seems in many cases, parole boards and review boards lean towards letting someone out after a certain amount of time because they’ve ‘earned it’ and it proves their systems are working,” Teixeira told Global News.
“It seems to be another instance that a parole board is disregarding the safety of Canadians.”
The board said it found that Mackay would not present an undue risk to society while on day parole, referencing his 25 years of sobriety and completion of programs.
Mackay has numerous conditions including a 10 p.m. curfew and a ban from consuming alcohol and drugs. He also must report all relationships and friendships with women to his parole supervisor.
As to where Mackay will be released, it is unclear as that information was redacted from the decision.