A former self-proclaimed white supremacist convicted of the violent beating death of a Calgary man in 2010 has been granted day parole.
Mark Mariani, 47, was found by a passerby, lying in a pool of blood, outside a strip mall in the 1500 block of 16th Avenue northwest just before 9 a.m. on Oct. 3, 2010.
Investigators said Mariani was attacked, boot-stomped and kicked in a nearby alley and left for dead with a fractured skull and broken ribs.
He collapsed while trying to make it back to his nearby SUV.
Robert Reitmeier was convicted of the second-degree murder in the attack. His co-accused, Tyler Sturrup, pleaded guilty to the same charge.
Police believe Mariani was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Four of Mariani’s family members presented victim impact statements at the parole board hearing at William Head Institution in B.C..
They pleaded with the Parole Board of Canada members to deny Reitmeier’s release.
Reitmeier admitted to breaching conditions last Christmas by using marijuana.
In granting Reitmeier day parole the board said Thursday they believe Reitmeier’s risk can be managed in the community.
He has been ordered to live in a halfway house in Victoria and has a list of conditions to follow, including no drugs or alcohol.
He will also have his cellphone use monitored by his parole officer.
Tyler Sturrup was also eligible to apply for parole in 2018, but so far has not sought to be released.
Mariani suffered from Crohn’s disease, and his family recently told Global News Crime Beat Reporter Nancy Hixt that he was out celebrating with friends on the night of his death, after being told by doctors that recent medical advancements meant he might no longer need to wear a colostomy bag.
The Crime Beat episode, “The day Mark Mariani came face-to-face with pure evil” is available to listen to online.