A convicted killer who escaped from a prison on Vancouver Island has been found dead.
West Shore RCMP said on June 28, at approximately 12:49 p.m., they were notified that an inmate was unaccounted for during the midday count at William Head Institution in Metchosin.
An arrest warrant was issued for 69-year-old Ernest Jensen.
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On Monday afternoon, Jensen’s body was recovered near the shoreline along William Head Institution by the RCMP West Coast Marine Services alongside the Metchosin Fire Department.
RCMP said an investigation is underway with Correctional Services Canada and the B.C. Coroners Office into the circumstances surrounding Jensen’s death.
“We recognize that incidents like this are concerning, particularly for those who live in the surrounding area,” West Shore RCMP said in a release.
“We want to reassure the public that officers mobilized quickly, deploying significant resources immediately after the report from William Head Institution was received. Our priority has been and remains the safety of the public.”
Jensen had been serving a life sentence since 1991 for second-degree murder.
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