Shane Ertmoed, serving a life sentence for the 2002 murder of 10-year-old Heather Thomas, has been granted a 60-day unescorted temporary absence to attend cooking classes under strict conditions.
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Shane Ertmoed, the man serving a life sentence for the sexual assault and murder of 10-year-old Heather Thomas, has been granted a 60-day unescorted temporary absence from prison to take cooking classes, according to the parole board’s decision described publicly.
Ertmoed was convicted in 2002 of first-degree murder in the 2000 killing of Thomas, who disappeared on October 1, 2000, after riding a bike outside her father’s townhouse complex in Cloverdale. Her body was later found three weeks afterward in Alouette Lake.
The parole decision follows the denial of day parole last year, with the parole board indicating that Ertmoed still posed a risk of serious harm to others at that time.
In the newly authorized plan, the parole board acknowledged the seriousness of the crime and Ertmoed’s history of sexual behaviour involving children. The board also stated that he has shown progress in treatment, has been taking medication intended to reduce sexual arousal, and has completed previous escorted temporary absences without concern.
Under the 60-day temporary absence, Ertmoed is expected to live at a community residential facility under 24-hour supervision while attending a cooking program. The plan also includes structured work: he would work four-and-a-half hours a day, five days a week, with a Red Seal Chef.
The conditions described include continued counselling and other rehabilitation programming. The authority also imposed restrictions aimed at reducing contact with children and limiting access to information technology.
Those limits include a prohibition on Ertmoed returning to the Lower Mainland, including Surrey, and restrictions that prevent travel to Alberta, Quebec, New Brunswick and Ontario. He is also not allowed unsupervised contact with girls under the age of 18.
The parole plan further states that Ertmoed’s internet and electronic devices will be subject to strict restrictions and monitoring. The described conditions are intended to shape where he can live, where he can go, and how he can use technology during the temporary absence.
Heather Thomas’ mother, Jody Aspin, said she was outraged by the decision. In her comments, Aspin said she was “afraid” for children and argued that Ertmoed will “do it again,” describing the parole outcome as continuing a pattern of suffering for her family.
Aspin also said she believes the decision disregards the reality of the harm that followed the killing, urging people to be present for their children and know where they are at all times, and said she visits her daughter’s grave.
The 60-day temporary absence was authorized on Sept. 2, with Ertmoed scheduled to begin his release on Sept. 28. The described timeline notes that the start date has since been postponed, though the reason for the postponement was unclear in the information provided.
The decision comes with a combination of supervised housing, employment and program requirements, alongside geographic, contact, and technology restrictions, reflecting the parole board’s stated view that progress in treatment must be balanced against the seriousness of the underlying offence and risk considerations.
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