Turn yourself in, lawyer pleads to escaped psychiatric patient

The Winnipeg lawyer who defended Earl Joey Wiebe is pleading with the escaped psychiatric patient and killer to turn himself in.

Wiebe, 23, has been a resident at the high-security wing of the Selkirk Mental Health Centre since he was found not criminally responsible for murdering his stepmother in 2000.

Police in Winnipeg and Selkirk have been actively searching for Wiebe since he escaped from his escorts Wednesdaywhile at a medical appointment at the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg.

Winnipeg police have described him as having "violent tendencies" with a high risk of reoffending.

But Greg Brodsky said Friday his client has not shown any violent tendencies in the past six years, despite beingunder round-the-clock supervision.

Brodsky said he has not been in touch with Wiebe since his escape. He urged Wiebe to return to the hospital in order to demonstrate that he can be eligible for treatment.

"He ought not to be leaving it to his being captured, because he has to demonstrate that he wants to turn himself in, in order to get along in life with the people who will be housing him," he said.

"The longer he stays away, the more nervous the people are going to be to take him for treatment again outside the property at Selkirk, at the hospital. So he's got to turn himself in."

Brodsky noted that Wiebe was growing frustrated because he had not yet received treatment at the mental health centre. Wiebe was being held at the mental health centre, but staffwere exploring treatment options at the time of Wiebe's escape, Brodsky said.

"There's a dispute on what treatment is available, and what we were trying to do is to have an assessment done as to the appropriate treatment, and have the review board order it at Winnipeg where the assessment was taking place," he said.

Winnipeg police continue to urge public caution and forpeople to call 911 or the Selkirk RCMP immediately if they see Wiebe.

He is described as six feet tall and slim, with short blond hair. He was last seen wearing a blue starter T-shirt, grey track pants with a white stripe and white running shoes.