A man convicted of manslaughter, sexual assault and sexual interference in the death of a teen in 2001 will be eligible for statutory release next month. Christopher Watts has nearly completed two-thirds of a sentence for failing to follow conditions imposed on him following his original sentence. The Parole Board of Canada has put in place a number of restrictions for Watts when he is granted statutory release, while also noting his history of failing to comply with such conditions, and his lack of remorse. In 2001, 13-year-old Amanda Raymond died while at a party at Watts’ home on Puslinch Lake. He gave her drugs, including percocets, OxyContin, speed and ecstasy, which put her in a coma. Watts refused to let anyone call for help. While Raymond was unconscious, he undressed and sexually assaulted her, wrote obscene words on her body, and took videos and photographs. After Watts left, Raymond stopped breathing and 9-1-1 was called. Raymond was pronounced dead at the scene. In 2003, Watts was convicted of manslaughter, sexual assault and sexual interference. He was sentenced to 12 years in jail, followed by a 10 year Long Term Supervision Order (LTSO), which began in 2015. Parole Board of Canada documents outline how Watts’s LTSO has been suspended more than 10 times because he was not following his conditions. Watts has been convicted twice of breaches. Both involved situations where he was interacting with girls under the age of 18. The latest incident happened in 2023 while Watts was working at a garden centre. Court heard he did not report this employment to his parole supervisor and, in the incident in question, he walked past a 15-year-old female coworker numerous times and asked if she had a ride home. Watts was sentenced to three years, less presentence custody, for his actions. He is now approaching the two-thirds mark of this second sub-sentence. In a decision issued earlier this month, the Parole Board of Canada denied a release for day parole. However, Watts is eligible for legislative statutory release as of November 13, 2025. By law, all federal offenders who have served two-thirds of their sentence must be released from prison. Offenders finish what is left of their sentence in the community and must report to a Correctional Service of Canada parole officer. Offenders serving life sentences do not get statutory release. It’s yet another painful milestone for Raymond’s family. “It’s just very disheartening,” Raymond’s younger sister Emily Trupp told CTV News. “It is laughable at this point because it just happens so many times and it feels like it’s never going to end for my family.” Watts is now 64-years-old. The Parole Board of Canada’s latest decision raises concerns about his likelihood to reoffend. The decision noted a recent assessment determined “[Watts’] risk for general recidivism is in the moderate/high range, your risk for violent recidivism in the high range, and your risk for sexual recidivism is ‘well above average.’” The documents also outline Watts’s repeated attempts to change details in his records, and his refusal to admit he committed sexual offences. “You said you accept responsibility for the manslaughter conviction but not for sexual offending,” the report states. At another point it reads, “You are fixated on alleged ‘file errors’ and ignore your conditions of release and LTSO at will.” “The Board asked what you need to do to reduce your risk. You said your risk probably would not change until you get a chance to go to court and change some of the errors in your file,” the document read. Trupp said it is frustrating to see Watts’ denials nearly 25 years after Raymond’s death. “He still doesn’t want to take full responsibility for what he did to my sister,” Trupp said. When Watts receives statutory release, he will have to live in a halfway house or approved psychiatric facility. He will also face a long list of restrictions, including not to be within 50 metres of a place where children under the age of 18 are likely to congregate, unless accompanied by an adult previously approved in writing by his parole supervisor. He is also not to be in the presence of any girls under the age of 18, unless he is accompanied by a responsible adult who knows his criminal history and has been previously approved in writing by his parole supervisor. Watts also cannot go to Toronto, Kingston or Kitchener/Waterloo unless he receives prior written permission from his parole supervisor. He also cannot use or own a computer, or any other device that takes video or audio recordings. If he uses a cell phone with those capabilities, he will have to disable those functions. The parole board noted that while Watts agreed with some of the conditions placed upon him, he also felt others, such as abstinence from alcohol and drugs and disclosure of his finances, were unnecessary. He also told the parole board he felt other conditions were overly restrictive and would make it difficult for him to pursue his plan to write books. Watts has already had one book, about navigating arrest and incarceration in Canada, published under a pseudonym. For Raymond’s family, each hearing Watts has is difficult. “It’s so unfair to us, and it’s so unfair to Amanda,” Trupp said. “It’s just ridiculous.” Trupp remembers her older sister as a happy and outgoing person who loved spending time with her friends, riding her bike and being adventurous. “It seemed like everybody knew her, everybody in the neighbourhood. She seemed to get along with pretty much everybody.”
