Man convicted in woman's 2017 trailer hitch death in Thunder Bay, Ont., granted full parole

Brayden Bushby, a man who threw a trailer hitch at an Indigenous woman in Thunder Bay, Ontario, has been granted full parole, a decision described as "incomprehensible" by an Indigenous organization. Barbara Kentner, the victim, was struck in the abdomen six months ago and died. Bushby pleaded guilty to aggravated assault but was convicted of manslaughter.

He was initially sentenced to eight years in prison in 2021. Nishnawbe Aski Nation, an organization representing several northern Ontario First Nations, expressed deep disappointment with the parole board's decision, stating that it sends a "dangerous and misguided message" and implies a profound injustice. Bushby had previously been granted day parole in 2023, living with his mother, but it was revoked the following year due to several parole violations, including consuming alcohol and failing to remain at the scene after causing damage to another vehicle.