Manitoba

Man who killed wife on Portage Avenue back in prison

A man who stabbed his wife to death 18½ years ago on Portage Avenue is back behind bars after his parole was revoked.
An old photo shows a couple on their wedding day.
Bruce Stewner and wife Kelly Stewner in a photo from their wedding day. (Handout)

A man who stabbed his wife to death 18½ years ago on Portage Avenue is back behind bars after his parole was revoked.

Bruce Stewner, 48, was convicted and sentenced to life in prison in 1995 for the shocking killing of his wife, Kelly, in front of bystanders in broad daylight.

He stabbed Kelly more than 20 times after she ran from their vehicle, which was on Portage near Assiniboine Park, in May 1994.

Stewner chased her down and attacked her as horrified witnesses yelled at him to stop. He threatened those trying to stop him.

Stewner was granted day parole in November 2012 despite a prison assessment that determined he was at a high risk to re-offend violently in an intimate relationship.

As part of his release, he was required to obey numerous conditions.

According to parole documents, Stewner recently violated several of those conditions, including using drugs, frequenting prostitutes, and cheating on his wife — he remarried in 2012 while still in custody.