BURSTOne of the two men convicted of killing Langford teenager Kimberly Proctor in 2010 has been transferred to a minimum-security facility in Mission.
Proctor’s aunt, Jo-Anne Landolt, said the family was notified more than a month ago that Cameron Moffat had applied for a voluntary transfer and was invited to submit victim impact statements in response.
Despite the family’s appeals, Landolt said they recently received confirmation that Moffat’s request has been approved.
Landolt received the news over the phone from her Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) victim services officer. While she suspected Moffat’s transfer would be to a minimum-security facility, Landolt said having it confirmed was difficult to hear.
“Knowing for sure is just a big shock, and it’s a bit of a letdown knowing that Kimmy’s no longer with us, and here he is going into minimum security already after 16 years,” she said. “It’s just not right.”
The decision has thrown up a number of concerns for Landolt.
She says the transfer was approved solely by Moffat’s warden, a process she disagrees with. Landolt feels the decision should have been reviewed by multiple people, similar to a parole hearing setting.
The move to a minimum-security facility also signals Moffat is one step closer to his eventual release, says Proctor’s aunt. With fewer restrictions, inmates in minimum security generally have greater freedom of movement and may be eligible for certain privileges.
“And this bothers us, thinking that this is a stepping stone for him because he is moving through the system,” she said. “We know he’s still incarcerated, but still, it’s just not fair for victims. I don’t think it’s fair for Kimmy that he’s able to move this quickly after such a horrific crime. I don’t understand it.”
CSC was approached for comment, but did not respond by the deadline given.
Moffat was 17 when he and 16-year-old Kruse Wellwood lured 18-year-old Proctor to one of their homes, where they sexually assaulted and brutalized her over a period of several hours.
Proctor was strangled and suffocated until she died – her badly burned body found the next day beneath a bridge.
She would have celebrated her 34th birthday in January this year.
Both Moffat and Wellwood pleaded guilty in 2011 and were sentenced to life in prison for first-degree murder and indignity to a dead body, with no chance of parole for 10 years.
Although they were sentenced as adults, their ages at the time of the offence meant they received the maximum sentence available under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. For an adult convicted of first-degree murder, a life sentence comes with no parole eligibility for 25 years.
As part of Kimberley’s Law, Proctor’s family want to see that distinction changed.
They believe young offenders who are tried and sentenced as adults should face the same 25-year period of parole ineligibility as other adults convicted of first-degree murder.
To address this, Landolt said the family is working with members of the federal Conservative Party of Canada to bring legislation forward in the House of Commons.
“We’re just waiting for the opportunity to be able to present it,” she said.
The family has also worked with Cowichan-Malahat-Langford MP Jeff Kibble to advance Bill C-235, the Respecting Families of Murdered and Brutalized Persons Act. The bill would see someone convicted of abduction, sexual assault and murder of the same victim in the same incident receive a life sentence without eligibility for parole for 25 to 40 years
Beyond pushing for legislative change, Landolt says the family will continue to represent Proctor at any future parole hearings involving Moffat or Kruse.
“We want them to stay in jail for the rest of their lives,” she said.