63-year-old murderer who died in B.C. prison last week spent most of his life behind bars

William Head Institution in Metchosin, B.C., is pictured. (CTV News)

A 63-year-old man who died of “apparent natural causes” in a Vancouver Island prison last week had spent much of his adult life behind bars even before he began serving a life sentence in September 1994, parole board documents reveal.

Christopher Michael Tyler died in custody at William Head Institution, the Correctional Service of Canada’s minimum security facility in Metchosin, on March 4.

Brenda Kanzig, the prison’s assistant warden for management services, told CTV News Tyler received his sentence in Edmonton, after convictions for second-degree murder, impaired driving, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, possession of property obtained by crime and being unlawfully at large.

Second-degree murder convictions in Canada come with an automatic life sentence, but judges have discretion to determine how much time an inmate must serve before becoming eligible for parole.

Kanzig told CTV News Tyler first became eligible for day parole in September 2001, but never made a parole application.

At the time of his death, Tyler had been incarcerated on the murder charge for more than 31 years.

“As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances,” the service said in its statement on Tyler’s death.

“CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.”

‘Undue risk to society’

While he apparently never applied for parole, Tyler’s case still came before the Parole Board of Canada, most recently in March 2025.

The board provided CTV News with a copy of its decision from that month denying Tyler’s request for a 60-day unescorted temporary absence from William Head for “personal development.”

The proposal, which the CSC supported, was for Tyler to participate in a reintegration program offered at a “community residential facility” on Vancouver Island. The facility’s name and location is not specified.

While it praised Tyler’s conduct within the institution and found his proposed absence from the facility “desirable,” the parole board ultimately denied his request, ruling that it would be an “undue risk to society” should he reoffend.

The board cited Tyler’s lengthy criminal history before the murder that landed him in prison, noting specifically that he had “engaged in breach-related behaviour” while on statutory release for each of his previous federal sentences.

Indeed, the murder itself happened while Tyler was “unlawfully at large” from a correctional centre, according to the parole board decision.

The decision indicates Tyler met up with the common-law partner of a friend and former inmate while at large.

“While your friend was at work, you engaged in sexual activity with his common-law wife, but stopped, got into an argument, then strangled her to death,” the document reads, addressing the offender directly.

“You then stole some of her jewelry, disposed of her body, and were engaged in a high-speed pursuit with police. Over the course of your sentence, you provided various versions of events, but at your hearing you claimed you didn’t have sex with the victim, rather you confronted her about her partner allegedly abusing her children. You claim she knew about this, but was willing to continue the relationship because she didn’t want to be alone. This answer infuriated you, which is why you killed her, stole her rings, and disposed of her body.”

Offender’s personal history

The decision doesn’t specify what offence Tyler was at the correctional centre for at the time of the murder, but it describes him as a man with “many convictions and a broad spectrum of offence types” over a “demonstrated criminal commitment” that began at a young age.

“There are no significant gaps in your offending not related to periods of custody,” the decision reads.

“You have reoffended while on community release; you reoffended while in custody; your offending continued well beyond the age by which most offenders desist; and it escalated over time, eventually resulting in death. Substance abuse, personal/emotional issues, and pro-criminal thinking have been influential in many of your offences.”

The document indicates Tyler was adopted at a young age and had a “traumatic upbringing” that included “physical, emotional and sexual abuse.”

He eventually became “a ward of the court” and was placed in foster care and at a “training school,” where he experienced further abuse, according to the decision.

“You frequently ran away, associated with negative individuals, lived transiently, and engaged in criminal activity to support yourself,” the document reads. “You have spent most of your adult life in custody. You have a history of alcohol and drug abuse to cope with negative emotions and were under the influence during many of your offences including the index offences.”

While concluding that Tyler presented an undue risk, the board also noted his improved behaviour in custody in the later years of his life, as well as his participation in programming and successful escorted temporary absences to participate in counselling and group therapy sessions with a local brain injury society.

The document concludes with an expression of hope.

“The board does not authorize the proposed UTA,” the decision reads. “The board is, however, confident in your ability to address the concerns that lead to this decision.”