Murder victim's family furious over day parole appeal

Members of an Okotoks' murder victim's family are furious her killer will be allowed to make trips to Calgary.

The brother and sister-in-law of Stephanie Spooner say they don't want to run into Tristan Ryan, the man who stabbed her to death in her family home 26 years ago.

Ryan, named Bradley Paetsch at the time of the murder, appealed a condition of his recently approved day parole that restricted his movements to 100 kilometres of the Drumheller Institution, where he is serving his life sentence, and is not allowed to go to Okotoks.

Ryan asked to be allowed to travel to Calgary to attend a program for prisoners reintegrating into the community, go to medical appointments and visit friends. He was approved to seek travel permits from his parole officer to attend the community maintenance program and medical visits.

A copy of the decision provided to the Spooner family and the Western Wheel had the location redacted.

Robin Spooner, who is married to Stephanie's brother Rene, said she called Canada Corrections to find out where Ryan was seeking to go.

“We are furious,” Robin Spooner said.

Robin said despite pleading with the parole board to keep Ryan away from Stephanie's family at his last parole hearing in July, they now run the risk of running into him in Calgary. At that hearing she asked Ryan be banned from traveling from Calgary south to the American border.

“I never want to be put in that situation of being face-to-face with him,” Robin said.

Family members will be notified what days Ryan has a travel permit to Calgary so they won't go into the city on days he will be there, she said, but they will not be told where he will be.

“They are basically making the victim's prisoners,” she said.

Keeping him away from Spooner's family was her top priority, she said.

“It was everything to us,” Robin said. “That restriction allows us to live our lives with some sense of normalcy and go about our day-to-day life.”

She questions why Ryan can't find programs and medical treatment somewhere else.

“It just shows the system caters to the offenders,” she said. “Let him go to Edmonton. Why Calgary, after I pleaded with them.”

The last time Rene saw Ryan was at his faint hope clause hearing in 2010. Robin said her husband never wants to see the man who murdered his sister again. She said being in the room with Ryan during his last parole hearing was torture.

“I don't wish it upon any victim ever,” she said.

In his appeal, Ryan noted he had been to similar programs and medical appointments in Calgary before. Robin said the family had been notified of escorted visits to Calgary before. However, as Ryan gains more freedoms, she said they are receiving less information. For example, they will not be notified if he is given an overnight or weekend pass as long as he stays within 100 kilometres of the institution, she said.

They also weren't told he was appealing a condition of his day parole and Robin said she is now checking if there is any recourse for them to address their concerns.

“In the Canadian Victims Bill of rights it says every victim has the right to have their security considered by the appropriate authorities in the criminal justice system,” she said. “The parole board is mandated to take the victim's requests. I felt like they had and now, no, they don't care about the victim's feelings.”