Police warn Halifax residents about prison release of 'Internet Black Widow'

Halifax Regional Police say Melissa Ann Shepard is considered a high risk to reoffend. (Halifax Regional Police)

HALIFAX -- Halifax Regional Police have issued a warning to residents in Halifax Regional Municipality about the release of a woman known as the “Internet Black Widow,” who has a history of violent criminal convictions and is considered a high risk to re-offend.

80-year-old Melissa Ann Shepard was released from a federal women's jail in Truro, N.S., Friday after completing a sentence of just under three years for spiking her newlywed husband's coffee with tranquilizers.

Police warn she will be living in the Halifax area.

Shepard has a violent criminal history dating back several decades. She was convicted of manslaughter in 1992 after running over her second husband with her car. She also served a five-year sentence for elder abuse in 2005 after she was convicted of drugging and robbing a man she met online.

Police say Shepard has been assessed as a high risk to re-offend, and has a list of 22 conditions attached to her release.

Shepard must abide by a curfew and notify police of where she is living. She must also notify police if she changes her appearance, or if she enters into any romantic relationships. She is to have no contact with her victims or their families, and no access to the internet.

Shepard’s lawyer says the list of conditions and expected police notifications infringe on her liberty.

She is scheduled to appear in court on April 4 for a hearing on whether the conditions will be continued as part of a peace bond application.

With files from CTV’s Sarah Ritchie.