A man convicted of killing six members of a B.C. family has been denied parole for the second time.
The National Parole Board determined Tuesday after a hearing at Bowden prison, north of Calgary, that David Ennis is not ready for release.
The hearing came 30 years after Ennis, who was previously known as David Shearing, killed a family of six that was on a camping trip in B.C.’s Wells Grey Provincial Park.
Ennis shot George and Edith Bentley, as well as their daughter Jackie and her husband Bob Johnson. He kept the Johnsons’ 11- and 13- year old daughters -- Karen and Janet -- alive for almost a week and sexually assaulted the sisters before killing them too.
Thirteen months into an extensive search, all six bodies were discovered in a burned-out car.
Ennis pleaded guilty to six counts of murder and was sentenced to life without a chance at parole for 25 years, the maximum sentence for the crime. He’s now eligible to apply for parole every two years.
He made his first bid for freedom in 2008, but the request was denied by the Parole Board of Canada, formerly known as the National Parole Board.
At the time, Ennis said he wanted to make a positive contribution to society. The board deliberated for about an hour before turning down his request, citing unresolved problems and noting Ennis had been diagnosed with mild indications of psychopathy.
Ennis, who adopted his mother’s maiden name, expressed remorse at the first parole hearing. His apology, however, was not accepted by several relatives of the victims who attended the hearing.
With files from CTV News’ Alberta Bureau Chief Janet Dirks and the Canadian Press
