'Any woman is at risk,' family of murdered wife warns as killer gets day parole

A man who murdered his wife in broad daylight on Portage Avenue in May 1994 is about to be released on day parole, and victim Kelly Lynn Stewner's family is worried. 

Bruce Stewner was granted day parole on Nov. 24 in B.C. and could be released as early as today. 

Facing her sister's killer wasn't easy, but Debra Peary was compelled to travel to Abbotsford, B.C. to Stewner's parole hearing at the end of November to give an impact statement and try to prevent him getting parole. 

"I still feel that he is a threat. You could feel it in the room. You could feel the danger in his voice and in his attitude, how he couldn't explain himself," she said. 

Peary said that Stewner has had almost a quarter of a century to think about what he did and that during his hearing he was still unable to explain himself.

"Any woman is at risk. He explained at the hearing that he wasn't interested in a relationship, but they found pornography on his phone, as late as of two years ago."

Documents from the Parole Board of Canada revealed that in September 2014, staff at his minimum-security prison caught Stewner with a cell phone and charging cord. He admitted he'd had the phone for approximately six months. Stewner used the contraband to make calls, send texts, downloaded pornography and used the internet to obtain information about another inmate at the institution.

Stewner had been sentenced to life with no chance of parole for 20 years in 1995. The judge at the time described it as one of the most vicious, brutal and violent stabbings he had ever seen. Stewner and Kelly Lynn had been driving down Portage Avenue and fighting when Kelly Lynn ran out of the vehicle and Stewner chased after her, stabbing her more than 20 times on the busy street in front of many witnesses.

Stewner was granted a previous day parole in 2012, but it was revoked less than a year later for breaches including drug use, frequenting prostitutes and cheating on the woman he married while still in custody in 2012.

For this latest parole, Stewner will have five conditions to abide by:

• He must not purchase, possess or consume drugs, other than prescribed medications
• He must not purchase, possess or consume alcohol
• He must report intimate, sexual and non-sexual relationships with women
• He must avoid contact with any member of the victim's family
• He must participate in counselling with a mental health professional

The last condition is frustrating to Peary. She was seeking counselling while preparing for the parole hearing and after eight to 10 sessions of working with a therapist she was told she wasn't entitled to more sessions under her health coverage. The province offers compensation for counselling services for the immediate family members of a deceased victim, under the Compensation for Victims of Crime Program, but the maximum amount is $2,000. Peary said it seems unfair that Stewner and other offenders have all the resources they need while survivors are often left to go it alone.

"As a survivor, you're being victimized, it's such an oxymoron, it doesn't make sense," said Peary.

The last few months have been a bit of a rollercoaster for Peary, preparing herself for the hearing and still dealing with the loss of her sister, which she said had massive repercussions on her family.

"I feel better, I feel healed, I feel like I was heard. Finally heard in my own voice and in my own words," she said. Though, she added, she didn't like having to be forced to stick to her written statement when others in the hearing got to speak freely.

While Peary is glad Stewner didn't get full parole she said she's not so sure Stewner is ready to rejoin society. Despite feeling skeptical and feeling he's not ready, she said part of her personal healing is to hope that he can finally take ownership for what he's done.

"I really hope that he becomes socially acceptable and perhaps can find a little peace, perhaps be productive," said Peary.