Despite fear expressed by families of his victims, a Vancouver man convicted of murdering four people 42 years ago, including a Richmond Mountie, has been granted day parole for six months.
Steven Leclair shot and killed three people in a Vancouver bar in 1980, then went to the RCMP detachment in Richmond where he killed one officer and wounded another.
In a decision in mid-December, the Parole Board of Canada said Leclair can leave prison each day provided he abides by a number of provisions, including staying away from bars and alcohol, police detachments, his victims and some areas of the Lower Mainland and Victoria.
He must also take part in any psychological counselling arranged by his parole officer to assess his risk and ability to reintegrate into society.
The board justified the decision by noting Leclair is 76 and has chronic health issues that require full-time medical care.
Leclair is serving a life sentence on four counts of first-degree murder with a parole eligibility of 25 years, but his release has been repeatedly denied since that term ended, including a year ago in an appeal, with several panels citing a lack of remorse.
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The September 1980 murders happened after Leclair was kicked out of a hotel bar for arguing with staff. He returned with a handgun and shot dead two bar workers — Anthony Dutkiewicz and James McDonald — and an elderly patron, Frieda Kardepohl. He missed another victim who fled.
At gunpoint, he forced two people to drive him to a police station, where he walked in and asked Const. Thomas Agar if he was “quick on the draw.” He then fatally shot the officer in the chest. After firing at and wounding another officer, he threw down his gun and was arrested.
His victims’ families have spoken of the “trauma and ongoing harm and grief” the killings caused, and some “also express fear at the prospect of your release,” said the parole decision.
This is not Leclair’s first taste of life outside prison. He has earlier been granted escorted temporary absences to see family and attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.
In 2015, he admitted to travelling outside his permitted boundaries and to not being under the direct supervision of his wife while on an unescorted absence. He was reprimanded, but overall his releases were deemed “positive” by the board.
But in 2017, those releases were cancelled after Leclair was rude to a prison staff member and made disparaging comments about his victims.
The board noted Leclair was raised by an abusive, alcoholic father and began drinking as a youth. While addicted to “diet pills” — which were amphetamines — he stabbed his father, who had threatened to kill him in the past.
It noted Leclair’s crimes are linked to his “anti-social attitudes and an inability to cope with negative emotions.”
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A recent psychological assessment, from November 2020, found Leclair to be at “a moderate to high risk for violence.”
His risk was considered lower if housed in a long-term care facility rather than a domestic situation. That’s because a psychologist recently described him as “an untreated perpetrator of domestic violence who continues to struggle with emotional regulation.”
Another assessment in June 2021 by a psychiatrist noted Leclair does not “suffer from any major mental disorder that would preclude a conditional release.
“The psychiatrist observes that you are experiencing cognitive and physical decline. He notes that you are essentially bedridden” and in need of palliative care.
Leclair has lived in a minimum-security prison since 2011 and is now at the institution’s hospital under 24-hour care.
The precise location of his residence during day parole was redacted from the report, but it is in the Fraser Health region. The health authority said it has approved Leclair for a long-term-care bed when available.
“In coming to the decision to grant day parole … the board remains mindful of the horrific nature of your criminal behaviour. You shot and killed four people including a police officer for no reason other than you were angry at the world and drunk.
“The victims lost their lives and their family members were left with a legacy of hurt, grief and loss.”
But the board approved day parole now due to Leclair’s age and infirmity and need for care, and the fact hospital staff where he has been staying have reported no negative or violent incidents.
Until a care bed is available, the board expects Leclair will live with and be cared for by his wife in Abbotsford.
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