David Ennis fourth time denied parole for 1982 killing of six family members in B.C.

David Ennis, convicted of murdering six family members at a B.C. campsite in 1982, has been denied parole for the fourth time due to significant reoffending risk.

Parole denied again for man who murdered six at Wells Gray Park campsite

A man convicted of shooting and killing six members of the same family at a British Columbia campsite in 1982 has been denied parole for the fourth time, Toronto Sun Crime reports.

David Ennis — formerly known as David Shearing — shot and killed George and Edith Bentley, their daughter Jackie Johnson, her husband Bob, and the couple's two grandchildren, Janet, 13, and Karen, 11, while the family camped at Wells Gray Park near Clearwater, B.C. in August 1982.

Ennis stalked the campsite and observed the victims before shooting the four adults. He kept the two children alive for several days, sexually assaulting the older girl. He then set the family's vehicle alight with all six bodies inside.

Weeks later, a worker reported a burned-out car near Battle Mountain Road matching the vehicle the Johnsons had been driving. When RCMP searched the wreck, they found the four adults — each shot in the head with a .22-calibre weapon. The remains of the two girls were discovered in the trunk.

Ennis was arrested in Dawson Creek, B.C. in November 1983 and found guilty of murder in April 1984. At sentencing, Supreme Court Justice Harry McKay described the crimes as "a cold-blooded and senseless execution of six defenceless and innocent people … a slaughter that devastated three generations in a single bound. What a tragedy. What a waste." Ennis received a life sentence with no eligibility for parole for 25 years.

The Parole Board of Canada issued its most recent denial on August 19, ruling that Ennis still posed a significant risk of reoffending if released. The board noted a Psychological Risk Assessment conducted in June in which Ennis stated he no longer experienced violent sexual fantasies, though he acknowledged still fantasizing "about sexual role playing with dominant themes in which there is no violence or physical harm."

The board also cited Ennis's own admission that, had he not been caught for these murders, he would likely have committed another serious crime of a similar nature.

Ennis had previously been denied parole in 2008, 2012, and 2021.

Source: Toronto Sun Crime