Killer of B.C. family of six in 1982 denied parole for fourth time
David Ennis, convicted of killing six Kelowna family members at Wells Gray Park in 1982, has been denied parole again. A surviving relative says the family is relieved but exhausted by the recurring process.
Parole denied again for man who shot B.C. family of six at campsite
Global News Crime reports that David Ennis, who shot and killed six members of a Kelowna family during a camping trip in Wells Gray Park near Clearwater in 1982, has been denied parole for the fourth time.
Ennis killed George and Edith Bentley, their daughter Jackie Johnson, son-in-law Bob Johnson, and grandchildren Janet, 13, and Karen, 11. According to the Parole Board of Canada's decision, Ennis had watched the family at their campsite before fatally shooting the four adults. He kept the two girls alive for several days, sexually assaulted the older child, then killed both and set fire to the vehicle containing all six bodies. A berry picker later discovered them.
The board concluded that Ennis poses a risk of violent or sexual reoffending that would be unmanageable if he were released. An aggravating factor cited in the decision was Ennis's choice to "callously and viciously" kill six people in order to gain access to a female child victim and satisfy what the board described as his sexually deviant fantasies.
Kristal Woolf, great-niece of Bob Johnson, told The Canadian Press the family is grateful the board rejected his application. "We are extremely happy that the parole board has gone in our favour," she said, adding that the family wishes it did not have to repeatedly fight against his release.
The recurring hearings take a significant emotional toll, Woolf said. Relatives typically begin preparing about a year before each hearing — speaking to media, contacting podcasters, and circulating an online petition opposing Ennis's release. "It's like you don't get closure," she said. "This is a great win right now, but it's not a win forever."
Woolf said the prospect of either full or day parole frightens the family, because Ennis could return to living among the public while the relatives he killed never had that opportunity. Although the board noted he has completed correctional programming and made some gains, Woolf does not believe he can be rehabilitated. "I do not believe that he could change who his core person is," she said.
The family continues to honour the six victims by sharing stories and keeping their names in public memory. The Johnson Bentley Memorial Aquatic Centre in West Kelowna bears the family's name and displays photographs of them.
Ennis, who was previously known as David Shearing, is serving a life sentence. He had already been denied day and full parole in 2008, 2012, and 2021.
Source: Global News Crime