Cold case suspect remains behind bars after parole denied

Kimberly McAndrew disappeared in the summer of 1989 after clocking out of work at a Canadian Tire store in Halifax.

New information has been released about a dangerous offender long considered a suspect in a number of high-profile cold cases in Nova Scotia.

Andrew Paul Johnson is currently in prison in British Columbia and has just been denied both full parole and day parole.

Parole documents indicate Johnson hopes to return to the East Coast when he is released from prison.

Johnson, 54, is also connected to an extensive search of a property in Shad Bay, N.S. last month. The home belongs to his brother.

Johnson has long been considered a suspect in the disappearance of 19-year-old Kimberly McAndrew, whose body has never been found.

McAndrew disappeared in the summer of 1989 after clocking out of work at a Canadian Tire store in Halifax.

Johnson has also been linked to the death of 18-year-old Andrea King, who was reported missing in Halifax on Jan. 4, 1992.

Her remains were eventually discovered in a wooded area in Lower Sackville, near the Sackville Industrial Park, on Dec. 22, 1992, but no charges were ever laid.

The parole documents don’t get into specifics, but they repeatedly reference the fact that Johnson remains a suspect in several cases in the Maritimes. They also say he has a lengthy history of sexual offences.

The decision that came down last week states Johnson is aware of the investigation in Nova Scotia, and because of that he poses a flight risk.

The documents continue:

“The board has no confidence that you understand your potential for harm. To release you into the community on either day or full parole, even with the many conditions recommended, would impose an undue risk of your re-offending upon the community.”

Retired Halifax homicide investigator Tom Martin says it may not be a bad thing if Johnson does return to the East Coast, as it may help police with their investigations into McAndrew’s disappearance and King’s death.

Johnson is eligible for parole again in March 2015.

With files from CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell