VERNON, B.C. — A convicted killer who had escaped from a Vernon, B.C., halfway house had been spotted in the community several times in the weeks he was free, but was only arrested two days after he killed again, says an internal government report. The joint National Parole Board and Corrections Service of Canada report, obtained by radio station CICF through a federal access to information request, says no one was to blame for the circumstances leading to the death of 75-year-old Bill Abramenko. But the report notes several spots where things could have been done differently. It makes recommendations to prevent something similar from happening again. Eric Fish used a hammer to smash the skull of the elderly man, then tied up his wife, had a beer and calmly searched the house for valuables before escaping. He pleaded guilty last November to second-degree murder and was given an automatic life sentence because he had been convicted of murder before.
The death of the elderly man in Vernon set off a public outcry. The report stated Fish had been sighted in the community during the seven weeks he was at large, but wasn't arrested until days after Abramenko was killed. "A number of persons in the Pacific Region who were interviewed ... felt that CSC (Corrections Service Canada) could potentially do more to assist police agencies to locate offenders who have been suspended but remain an large in the community," stated the heavily edited report. There had been some confusion between National Parole Board members and parole officers about the specific conditions Fish was under and it was made worse because Fish's case was moved from one community to another, the report said. The Board of Inquiry report recommended that both corrections and parole officials develop a common understanding of what "limited" day parole is and make sure that understanding is clearly communicated to supervisors. The board also said corrections staff need more information in the case of offenders serving life sentences for murder. "Given the seriousness of these cases and the increasing number of lifers in the system, it is recommended that efforts be made to make additional information/knowledge (e.g. research, training) available to assist in assessing and managing the risk in these cases." The report stated there was nothing in the Fish case that would have led those involved in his management to believe that he would have killed again. "The development of release plans and support systems in the community were thorough and professional."
Fish had been living in the Vernon halfway home after his release from prison for a 1985 stabbing death in Ontario. He also faced a second murder charge for the 2004 death of 60-year-old Jeffery Drake, but the prosecution entered a stay of proceedings this past January saying the nature of the evidence didn't support a viable prosecution. When Justice Bill Smart sentenced Fish for Abramenko's murder he told him he must spend the rest of his life in jail. "You asked for no sympathy and you deserve none," Smart said.
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