Killer Luka Magnotta transferred from maximum-security prison
Convicted killer Luka Magnotta has been transferred from a maximum-security prison to another institution, CTV News has confirmed.
Magnotta, 41, is currently serving a life sentence for the brutal killing and dismemberment of Chinese student Jun Lin in Montreal in 2012.
The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) did not say where Magnotta was transferred to when contacted by CTV News on Monday. The CSC would only say that Magnotta met the criteria for a transfer to a medium-security facility in 2022, "which has a well-defined perimeter with high-fences, is strictly guarded 24/7 and is patrolled by armed officers."
Spokesperson Kevin Antonucci said "there are no recent changes pertaining to this offender’s situation."
The CSC would not confirm a media report that stated Magnotta was transferred to La Macaza, a medium-security institution.
Since his conviction, Magnotta had been held at the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution, on Quebec's north shore. In documents filed in Federal Court in January 2022, Magnotta argued that the government had denied a request for a transfer to a medium-security institution and had taken the CSC to court to compel his relocation.
"This offender has been securely behind bars for close to a decade. They continue to be in a secure institution, serving an indeterminate sentence. Our ultimate goal is to keep the public safe – and that’s exactly what we continue to do," the CSC said in a written statement on Monday about the Magnotta file.
"In Canada, our correctional system is fundamentally based on the rehabilitation of offenders, even if some remain incarcerated for the rest of their lives. This is our legislated mandate. We are constantly balancing many factors, including public safety risks; safe, secure and humane treatment; and victim rights. In accordance with policy, CSC must review an inmate’s security classification at least every two years for medium and maximum-security inmates and we must place inmates in the corresponding institutions."
Magnotta will be eligible for day parole on June 4, 2034, and for full parole on June 4, 2037, according to the CSC. "To be clear, eligibility dates do not guarantee an offender will be released on parole should they be granted a hearing," the statement read.
Magnotta was convicted of first-degree murder in 2014 and given an automatic life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years. The case shocked the country and made international headlines following a global manhunt that ended with his arrest at an internet cafe in Berlin in 2012.
Correction
This is a corrected story. An earlier version of this story stated that Magnotta had been transferred to a medium-security institution. The CSC would not confirm where Magnotta was transferred to.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Chants of 'shame on you' greet guests arriving for the annual White House correspondents' dinner
An election-year roast of U.S. President Joe Biden before journalists, celebrities and politicians at the annual White House correspondents' dinner Saturday.
What is a 'halal mortgage'? Does it make housing more accessible?
The 2024 federal budget announced on April 16 included plans to introduce “halal mortgages” as a way to increase access to home ownership.
Here's where Canadians are living abroad: report
A recent report sheds light on Canadians living abroad--estimated at around four million people in 2016—and the public policies that impact them.
Deadly six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 sparked by road rage incident
One person was killed in a six-vehicle crash on Highway 400 in Innisfil Friday evening.
Opinion I just don't get Taylor Swift
It's one thing to say you like Taylor Swift and her music, but don't blame CNN's AJ Willingham's when she says she just 'doesn't get' the global phenomenon.
Invasive and toxic hammerhead worms make themselves at home in Ontario
Ontario is now home to an invasive and toxic worm species that can grow up to three feet long and can be dangerous to small animals and pets.
Harvey Weinstein hospitalized after return to New York from upstate prison
Harvey Weinstein’s lawyer said Saturday that the onetime movie mogul has been hospitalized for a battery of tests after his return to New York City following an appeals court ruling nullifying his 2020 rape conviction.
'We are declaring our readiness': No decision made yet as Poland declares it's ready to host nuclear weapons
Polish President Andrzej Duda says while no decision has been made around whether Poland will host nuclear weapons as part of an expansion of the NATO alliance’s nuclear sharing program, his country is willing and prepared to do so.
Central Alberta queer groups react to request from Red Deer-South to reinstate Jennifer Johnson to UCP caucus
A number of LGBQT+2s groups in Central Alberta are pushing back against a request from the Red Deer South UCP constituency to reinstate MLA Jennifer Johnson into the UCP caucus.