An exhausted Robert Latimer, the Saskatchewan farmer convicted of killing his severely disabled daughter in 1993, arrived in Ottawa on Monday to begin his day parole.
"I didn't sleep much last night," he told reporters at the city's airport Monday before vowing to continue fighting over his case.
Latimer was released last week from a B.C. prison after serving seven years of a life sentence following his second-degree murder conviction.
The 55-year-old spent the last four days at his family's Wilkie, Sask., farm after he was granted unescorted compassionate leave to visit his ailing 95-year-old mother in a nursing home.
Latimer says he has no regrets in the death of his 12-year-old daughter Tracy, who was born with cerebral palsy.
Fourteen years later, he argues his daughter's death was a mercy killing to spare her more pain.
"No, we'd already put her through a lot,'' he said. "So it was the right thing to do.''
Tracy could neither walk nor talk, and had a mental age of a three-month-old child.
In 1993, Latimer placed Tracy in the cab of his pickup truck and pumped exhaust fumes into the vehicle, while his wife and other children were attending church.
But Latimer believes he did not receive a fair trial and is hoping to lobby the government for a new home by applying to an Ottawa half-way house.
Latimer was asked about those groups who speculated his time in Ottawa would be spent to lobby for a euthanasia law.
"They're a bunch of hysterical ... I don't know what they're afraid of. We didn't cut the child's leg off or cut a feeding tube into her. They just seem like abusive people to me."
Latimer said the defence of necessity was eliminated in his case, adding he disputed the Crown's claim that Tracy's pain was medically manageable.
"They were going to cut her leg off and give her regular strength liquid Tylenol to control the pain,'' said Latimer.
When asked why he chose to move to an Ottawa halfway house, Latimer nodded to the media mob and said: "Because of this."
He'd like his case heard again but his legal avenues are limited. Latimer is not seeking a pardon, but wants another jury to hear his case.
A jury should have had the right to decide whether his actions were right or wrong, Latimer said.
"I believe Canadians in general would really appreciate our situation being dealt with honestly -- because it has not been dealt with honestly,'' Latimer said after being greeted at the airport with a hug from his sister, and a crush of reporters.
"Will it happen? Are they honest? Who knows? This government, the new government ... they're probably not that interested in this kind of thing.''
Two sets of juries -- one in 1994, and the other at a retrial in 1997 -- convicted him of second degree murder. However, the second jury recommended Latimer only be sentenced to one year in jail. The trial judge used a "constitutional exemption" to give Latimer a sentence of less than two years.
That decision was overturned by the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal. The Supreme Court of Canada agreed with that ruling. Latimer ended up with the standard second-degree murder sentence of life in prison with no possibility of parole for 10 years.
Late last year, day parole was initially denied to Latimer. The National Parole Board panel hearing his original plea for release said he lacked sufficient insight into the factors that contributed to his decision to end his daughter's life.
That decision was overturned on appeal.
Vancouver lawyer Jason Gratl, who represented Latimer during the parole appeal, told Canada AM on Monday that Latimer will be required to reside at the facility and return home in the evenings.
Latimer has written numerous letters to the Supreme Court and federal politicians seeking to have his case re-opened.
"It's more or less just asking questions," he said. "All I want is some honest answers. And I really believe I deserve them."
With almost three years to go before he's eligible for full parole, Latimer says if he hits a brick wall, he may decide to serve out his time somewhere closer to home.
