Woman convicted of killing her stepson granted permission to leave prison unsupervised

A Toronto woman convicted of killing her seven-year-old stepson will be allowed to leave prison unsupervised to prepare for life in a halfway house.

In a decision released today, the Parole Board of Canada says Marcia Dooley has been compliant while out on escorted absences from the minimum-security prison where she is held.

It says Dooley, 49, will be allowed to spend four unescorted five-day stints at a halfway house over a year so she can familiarize herself with the routine and the community.

The board imposed several conditions, however, barring her from taking a position of trust over minors and from contacting any of her stepson’s relatives or her accomplice, her husband Edward Dooley.

The parole board panel also required that Dooley disclose any relationships with people who have parental responsibility over minors.

Dooley and her husband were convicted of second-degree murder in 2002 for the death of Tony’s son, Randal. They were both sentenced to life in prison, with Dooley able to apply for parole after 18 years and her husband after 13.