Ernest Jensen is wanted for being unlawfully at large after escaping from the William Head Institution, a minimum-security facility in British Columbia over the weekend. RCMP handout photo
A manhunt is in progress for a “dangerous” convicted killer who escaped over the weekend from a Vancouver Island prison where he was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, federal police say.
Inmate Ernest Egon Jensen, 69, was unaccounted for at the noon headcount on June 28 at the William Head Institution, a minimum-security facility. The prison is located on 87 acres of federal land on the southern tip of Vancouver Island in Metchosin, approximately 30 kilometres southwest of Victoria.
The police were called to the prison just before 1 p.m. after Jensen went missing, and he is now wanted for being unlawfully at large, the RCMP said in a press release.
“West Shore RCMP immediately responded to the area and have initiated extensive patrols,” the press release said. “You will see a heavy police presence in the area near William Head Institution as police officers continue their search outside the facility.”
West Shore RCMP police dog services and air services have also been called out to conduct ground and air patrols, and the institution’s staff is searching for him on the grounds of William Head.
The Correctional Service of Canada describes Jensen as a bald, Caucasian male who is five feet eight inches tall, has a heavy build and weighs 228 pounds. He has a fair complexion, brown eyes, is missing three fingers on his left hand, and has a scar on his forehead.
Jensen has been serving his sentence for murder since 1991 and has served time for break and enter and trespassing.
The authorities advise anyone who spots Jensen to refrain from approaching him and instead call 911. Those with information that could aid in the search are asked to get in touch with the West Shore RCMP.
Other inmates have previously escaped from the William Head Institution.
James Lee Busch and Zachary Armitage escaped from the facility on the evening of July 7, 2019, and ended up at the home of Martin Payne, about eight kilometres away. They sought shelter in his home after the 60-year-old left for work on the morning of July 8, 2019, and they murdered him upon his return that evening. The pair were arrested in Esquimalt the following day.
Busch was serving a sentence for second-degree murder at the time of his escape, and Armitage had robbed and violently attacked a man, rendering him a quadriplegic and unable to speak. Both had earlier escaped from different prisons.
Busch and Armitage were charged with first-degree murder in connection with Payne’s death.
The Correctional Service of Canada also launched an investigation into the circumstances that led to the escapes.
Corrections Canada said the inquiry led to “a close examination of our practices and policies in how we prevent and respond to escapes, and how inmates are classified at the minimum-security level.”
The Canadian Press contributed to this report.
