Rick Miller, a retired judge and former prosecutor, said convicted murderer Jeffrey Ewert is “as bad as they come” after learning the man was attending McGill law school.
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Jeffrey Ewert, a British Columbia man serving a sentence for murder, has been attending law school at McGill University in Montreal since September, but the university has since barred him from campus, prompting concern among some students.
Ewert, now in his 60s, was convicted in the 1980s of second-degree murder and attempted murder involving violent attacks committed in British Columbia against two female victims, including a 15-year-old.
In 1984, Ewert was convicted in relation to an attack on a 19-year-old woman, during which he choked her unconscious, sexually assaulted her, and later dumped her in the Fraser River, where she was later found dead. About six weeks later, Ewert was also convicted in relation to the strangling of a 15-year-old girl unconscious in his adoptive parents’ Surrey basement before he drove her to a drainage ditch and left her to die after her head struck the pavement while he dragged her out.
The victim survived but was left paralyzed for life with severe brain damage.
Rick Miller, a retired judge and former prosecutor, said in an interview that he still remembers prosecuting Ewert and described him as “as bad as they come,” adding: “This guy was the most brutal and evil that I dealt with.”
Miller said Ewert had raised an insanity defence in both cases, and that a psychiatrist called by the Crown testified that it was not true, describing Ewert as a “psychopathic killer.” Miller also said the first-degree murder verdict was overturned on appeal and a new trial was ordered, after which Ewert pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.
According to Miller, the judge in the second-degree murder case thought Ewert would be a danger for his entire life and recommended that parole never authorize his release.
Despite serving about 40 years, Ewert was granted day parole in 2025.
Students who spoke about the situation expressed divided views. Leah Kropf said it was “scary and it’s kind of unbelievable,” while McGill student Ines Keita said “I believe in second chances” and that people can be rehabilitated through education. Isabelle Munoz said she would not feel safe having Ewert in class or on campus.
McGill said privacy laws prevented it from discussing individual student cases, and said the safety and security of its students is paramount. The university also said it would actively review its admissions processes to help ensure a similar situation does not happen again, and that the matter was being reviewed by the university after a letter sent to students over the weekend said student safety comes first.
Miller said he had “taken solace” from the belief that Ewert would remain in custody until his death, but noted that he was released on day parole in 2025.
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