A B.C. man who abducted and murdered a 10-year-old girl in Surrey 24 years ago was denied day parole on Wednesday.
Shane Ertmoed is serving a life sentence for the first-degree murder of Heather Thomas in October 2000.
Thomas vanished while playing outside in Cloverdale, prompting a massive police and volunteer search. Her body was found weeks later in Alouette Lake in Maple Ridge.
Ertmoed was arrested that November, and confessed he had tried to sexually assault the girl, then strangled her when she fought back.
Jody Aspin, Heather’s mother, attended the hearing in person on Wednesday to read a victim impact statement and said it was the first time she had the chance to express herself to her daughter’s killer’s face.
“For once I rattled his chains. I feel that it was helpful for me to do so. And it got my point across for once towards him. I think he finally for once heard me after 24 years,” she said.
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“I accomplished what I wanted to do … I did this for my daughter. This is all for my daughter. And if there is any other child I can help to have this not happen to them.”
Ertmoed was granted escorted leave from prison in 2021.
Rebecca Darnell, the victim’s family’s lawyer, said the parole board was not convinced.
“They underscored the fact that he was deceptive as well as manipulative,” she said.
“He also today admitted that he had deliberately murdered Heather when she had resisted so that she would not be able to complain and he would not suffer any consequences.”
Aspin said her daughter’s killer continued to try and paint himself in the best possible light.
At one point, she said, he offered an apology to the parole board itself, and “the people in the back” — his victim’s family.
“Just another lie, just another joke he plays to manipulate and victimize us,” she said.
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