Day parole extended for man who killed Sudbury police officer

Peter Pennett, one of the two men convicted of killing Sudbury Police Const. Joe MacDonald in 1993, has had his day parole extended for another six months. (File)

Peter Pennett has been granted day parole for another six months, according to documents from the Parole Board of Canada.

Pennett, now 62, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Sudbury Police Const. Joe MacDonald on Oct. 7, 1993.

MacDonald, who was just 29, had a young family. Pennett and Clinton Suzack were found guilty of beating him and then shooting him to death. MacDonald had stopped the pair for a routine traffic stop when they pulled a gun on him.

Suzack was also granted day parole but has since died.

At trial, Pennett denied he killed MacDonald and blamed Suzack, but the appeal of his murder conviction was dismissed in 2000. In its decision, the parole board said Pennett identifies as an Indigenous person from Garden River First Nation.

“The board has again considered in this decision, your social history and the impacts of disconnection from your cultural roots, exposure to substance abuse, family fragmentation, negative influences and your own history of substance abuse as maladaptive coping,” the board said.

“While these factors do not excuse your criminal behaviour, they serve to contextualize your life experiences and systemic discrimination that have impacted your life.”

Several restrictions

He was first granted day parole in October 2023 and it has been extended, most recently in October 2025. As part of the release, he was banned from contacting certain people, including MacDonald’s family, geographic restrictions to ensure he doesn’t come into contact with them, as well as orders not to drink or consume drugs.

While falling short of full parole, the board said more time was needed to ensure he could support himself financially, a gradual approach to his release that Pennett said he supported.

Since he was first granted day parole in 2023, the board said there have been no incidents and “no evidence of illicit substance use over the course of supervision.”

Seen drinking non-alcoholic beer

He was seen in November 2025 drinking a non-alcoholic beer with another parolee, saying they were celebrating “being successful while on release over the past years and wanted to consume a non-alcoholic beer together.”

Pennett was cautioned that he was supposed to avoid associating with other parolees without prior permission.

“There have been no additional concerns with your associates following this incident, and you have had no documented police contact,” the board said.

“Given that this behaviour has not since been repeated, the board places no weight upon it.”

He is also close to earning a university credit and has been renting an apartment where he stays while on release. He also has a job offer for a position that will start “once the weather begins to warm.”

“Your brother stayed at your apartment for Christmas 2025,” the board said.

“You continue to have daily phone communication with your mother, and you speak to other close family often.”

The plan is for him to spend an increasing amount of time at the apartment he has rented – up to four nights a week.

“This will provide you with an opportunity to acclimatize to community living while done under … close observation,” the board said.

“Such leave privileges will aid in your reintegration while not increasing your risk to re-offend.”

He is still barred from having any contact with MacDonald’s family, as well as from travelling to Greater Sudbury or the Algoma District.