Family relieved as a man who killed a B.C. family of 6 in 1982 denied parole again
A relative of a British Columbia family murdered during a camping trip more than four decades ago says she is relieved their killer has once again been denied parole.
The Parole Board of Canada has once again denied parole to David Ennis, the man who killed a family of six in British Columbia in 1982. The victims were George and Edith Bentley, their daughter Jackie Johnson, son-in-law Bob Johnson, and grandchildren Janet, 13, and Karen, 11, who were camping at Wells Gray Park near Clearwater.
Ennis, who changed his name from David Shearing, is serving a life sentence and was previously denied parole in 2008, 2012, and 2021. The family expressed relief at the decision but frustration at having to relive the parole process, as it never feels permanently settled. The board determined that Ennis poses a risk of violent or sexual reoffending that would be unmanageable if he were released, citing his choice to kill the family in order to gain access to a female child victim and satisfy his sexually deviant fantasies.
The family continues to remember the victims by sharing stories about their lives and keeping their names in the public eye.
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