In February of 2022, the Parole Board of Canada ultimately decided not to grant full parole to Ronald Glen West. It would be hard to estimate just how many individuals let out a huge collective sigh of relief upon hearing this news. Significantly, this may be the first and last opportunity to hear West’s response to “Why?”
I will attempt to summarise both the Board’s and West’s comments before concluding with some thoughts of my own; but first, I want to preface all of this with a Victim Statement made to the courts upon West’s conviction by the mother of Doreen Moorby. It is powerful and relatable to the devastation of all victims’ families.
Victim Statement – August, 2001
Evelyn Sedore (aged 91) of Brown Hill, Ontario
Your Honour,
I am writing this letter to express my feelings about the tragedy on May 6th, 1970, when our daughter was raped and murdered by whom we didn’t know. It took thirty years and the mind of a policeman who never gave up. God Bless Him.
Our loss has been insurmountable. You do your work and all at once it comes to mind. You remember and the tears flow. In the wee hours of the morning it is the same. Our family dinners, Christmas dinners, the birthday of their son; what wonderful times we shared at those gatherings. Her laughter is now missed. Also having her around just to chat; it is all gone. Why? Because of one man, if you can call him a man. My thoughts for this man is that he is never, never, never able to cause heartache and anguish to other families.
It was awfully hard to have everyone at the gatherings and not to have her. The first year that this happened it was particularly hard at Christmas dinner: I’d cook a while, then cry a while, all the while knowing that the others were trying hard to hide their tears from me.
Until he was caught, our minds never wavered: we had a General Store and Post Office and every man that came in – we would look at him and wonder “Is this him?” Or could it be one of our friends or someone that she knew? Perhaps someone from one of the homes she had gone into as a care nurse, or even someone we knew?
My husband passed away in 1984 and I wish he were here to see justice.
I often wonder what her thoughts must have been and what the thoughts of other women that this happened to were. They must have been unbearable. She had no one there to help her. When you think just what she would have given to have someone come in and help her.
It was a relief to hear that they had him.
West reached the age of 75 on March 7th, 2022.
He is serving an aggregate (concurrent) life sentence for the following offences:
- five robberies
- five forceable confinements
- two possessions of a weapon
- two uses of a firearm while committing
- two possessions of property obtained by crime
- two non-capital murders
The judge also ordered a lifetime weapon prohibition.
The Parole Board Comment on the 1995 ‘North Shore’ Robberies and Assaults:
On May 26th, 1995, you entered a home, struck the homeowner, tied him up and took money and credit cards. On May 31st, you assaulted a man in his home with a pipe wrench, tied him up and robbed him. On June 16th, you attended a home, forced your way in at gunpoint, tied up the resident, ransacked the home and left. In all three cases, it was daytime, and you pretended to be interested in ads they had posted. On June 7th and 14th, you tied up store clerks in businesses and took jewellery. Police arrested you on June 30th and found you in possession of stolen items and a handgun.
You pled guilty, though you describe having very little recollection and indicated you had been experiencing stress and were abusing drugs. The sentencing judge noted that the victims had all been vulnerable in some way, and suffered emotional and psychological trauma in addition to physical injuries, and found it deeply disturbing that you could not explain your actions.
The Board noted that the court had received victim impact statements (from the North Shore robbery victims) describing the impact his actions had on their lives before addressing the murders.
After your incarceration, police linked you to the historical murders of two women. In May 1970, you had attended their homes in the daytime, sexually assaulted them, and shot them multiple times in the head, while their children were present.
You pled guilty, and believed you were consuming alcohol and drugs at the time, and chose victims at random.
Victim impact statements prepared for court described the losses the family members experienced, and their fears as you remained uncaught.
The Board listed some of the crimes West committed during his time in Western Canada and possibly some others after returning to Ontario in 1974.
Your criminal record lists previous convictions for:
- Possession of a Restricted Weapon without a permit
- Possession of Stolen Property
- three Break and Enter
- twelve Break and Enter with Intent
- Possession of Housebreaking Instruments
- four Break and Enter & Theft
- fail to Remain at the Scene of an Accident
- stayed charges for five Break and Enter & Theft
- two Possession of Stolen Property
- and Carry Concealed Weapon [all from the 1970s]
You described spending all your money on drugs, and breaking into medical centres and clinics to obtain more. You then had a gap of almost two decades before the [1995] index robberies.
The following documents the Board’s understanding of the information provided by West:
You were raised on a family farm, and have said your mother was physically and emotionally abusive. You began using alcohol and drugs as an adolescent, and described yourself as mad at the world. You quit school and worked a few years as a police officer, and committed the murders during that time, while you were off duty. You lost that job due to your substance abuse, and have described that you were impaired during your criminal offending. You then worked in mines and were married with two children during the gap in your criminal record, but continued using alcohol and drugs. You described that the work started drying up when you reached your fifties, your relationship ended, and your children had behavioural issues, and you increased your substance abuse and returned to criminal activity.
The Board continued:
The General Statistical Information on Recidivism (SIR) risk assessment tool rated you as a low-moderate risk for reoffending in the three years following release. Over the course of your lengthy incarceration, you have successfully completed programs related to Substance Abuse (1998) and maintenance (2012), Cognitive skills (1997), Anger and Emotions Management (1999), and moderate intensity Violence Prevention (2012) and maintenance (2015). The most recent report noted that you were competent at applying your skills on a regular basis.
You have also earned a secondary school diploma, maintained institutional employment until you experienced health issues, and have not been a concern to security. You describe being sober since 1995, and all urinalysis tests have been negative for substance use, although in 2009 you had an incident of being unable to provide a sample.
In addressing recent assessments, the Board continued:
A psychological risk assessment, dated November 6th, 2021, rated you as low-moderate risk for general recidivism, moderate-high risk for sexual recidivism. The clinician did not support parole, indicating that your next logical step would be to cascade to minimum security before beginning a gradual release process.
In the Correctional Plan update (CPU) of December 20, 2021, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) assessed you as having high needs in the domain of Personal/Emotional, and moderate needs in Substance Abuse and Marital/Family. The Substance Abuse domain has improved since your admission. They rated your accountability and motivation level as medium, and your reintegration potential as low. Your motivation level has deteriorated since your admission.
In relation to West’s interest in his security level and future parole, the Board stated:
You have resided in medium security at your current institution since 2013, and have not expressed interest in transferring to minimum security. You have consistently waived your right to parole consideration over the years since your eligibility in 2009, however a change in legislation means the Board must now review you. You have not provided a release plan, and due to your low reintegration potential rating, the community was not canvassed for support.
The Correctional Service of Canada clarify their denial for Full Parole:
CSC recommends that FP be denied, noting that despite completing programming, you have not demonstrated a significant understanding of your risk factors, and have no plan to mitigate your risk to the public. They indicate that you remain unable to fully verbalise your reasons for offending, or to demonstrate full victim empathy and recognition of the harm you inflicted.
The Board went on as follows:
Combining your assessed risk, no viable release plans, lack of community support, and your continued need to address your risk factors, the Board has determined that you will need to adopt a slow and gradual release plan prior to being considered for Full Parole. The Board notes that it is premature for release for Full Parole. There is nothing put forward in your parole review that would indicate to the Board that your risk to reoffend can be managed should you be granted parole.
The Parole Board concluded:
The Board denies full parole. It is the Board’s opinion that you will present an undue risk to society if released and that your release will not contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen.
I have thought a lot about the fact that West never sought parole and it made me feel angry, but not altogether surprised.
Imprisonment – for most – would imply punishment and a huge desire upon the part of the prisoner to be free. For me it brings to mind Fyodor Dostoevsky’s words from Crime and Punishment when addressing the protagonist’s mental anguish for the crimes he committed:
“If he has a conscience he will suffer for his mistake. That will be punishment as well as the prison.”
We know from the words of the Parole Board that West has never expressed any empathy. This is unsurprising, given that he is a psychopath.
Prison can be far more appealing than living below the poverty line. (Please see the post about life at Bath Institute elsewhere on my website.) When I worked with the homeless in Barrie, Ontario, I knew of clients, often with mental health issues, who would offend just to have a warm cell and three meals a day over the winter months.
Inevitably, when I express my views around punishment, I am asked if I would then suggest capital punishment. No, and for three reasons.
Firstly, I believe it to be morally wrong; secondly, there are many recorded cases of error in judgment, and there is no way of reversing capital punishment; and finally, I have never heard from a victim’s friend or family member that they did or thought they would find closure in the execution of the perpetrator.
I’m not sure I believe in closure, either – only a softening around the edges of terror that all too suddenly jolt you awake in the wee hours of the morning to relive the terrible reality of it all once again.
In closing, I would like to extend to the families and friends of West’s victims my wishes for some peace in this life. I have heard from several of those touched by West’s evil legacy since the Parole Board Hearing, including one that took me by surprise.
It was related to a North Shore robbery/assault victim. Author Scott Miller – soon to be releasing his book Leading the Pack, A History of the Sudbury Wolves (published by Latitude 46) – contacted me to let me know that his late Grandpa was Camillo Rovinelli, the elderly gentleman who was violently assaulted and robbed by West in the 90s. Scott wanted me to know that he and his family appreciated The Seventh Shot and the mention of West’s impact on his family.
I was just expressing my empathy – you know, that human trait that most of us share.
Bruce Wilson
says:Thanks for the update