Last weekend the family and friends of Amy Sands honoured her weeks after the man convicted with manslaughter in her death was sent back to a federal prison for violating his parole for drug use. “(I’m) not surprised,” said Amy’s father Ed Sands, two days after a celebration of Amy’s life at a fundraiser on Nov. 10. “I think he’s in a better place for himself and for society.” Jesse George Hill pled to manslaughter in November 2014 in connection with Amy’s death. Hill spent just over three years in jail before his statutory release in December 2017. On Oct. 24 the Parole Board of Canada revoked Hill’s release and sent him to a federal prison due to his drug use. The board decision revealed while on community release Hill admitted to developing an opiate addiction in prison and said he required marijuana to deal with violent thoughts as well as back and leg pain. He was sent to in-patient treatment, but was removed from one for drug use and later had a suspected drug overdose at another facility. This is at least the third time Hill has had his community release revoked since his statutory release. Amy, the daughter of Debbie Sands and Okotoks town councillor Ed Sands, was shot and killed while hanging out with friends in a Calgary garage August 2012. She had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder and was struggling with a drug addiction. Shots meant for Sands’ on-again, off-again boyfriend were fired through a garage door and struck and killed her. Hill had come to the main door of the garage with a gun and threatened Sands’ boyfriend just seconds before the shots were fired. Conditions for Hill’s next statutory release were also imposed. Those were that he live at a community correctional or residential facility, not use drugs and alcohol, follow a substance abuse treatment plan, disclose his finances to his parole officer and not associate with known criminals. He will be able to request overnight passes. Ed Sands said he believes Hill’s next statutory release date is in April and that his sentence expires in August. “I’m surprised they are going to give him another four months (of release),” he said. “I don’t think he’s been rehabilitated. He’s a risk to himself and he’s a risk to society.” The Sands’ family held the sixth annual AmiJane FunRaiser on Nov. 10.
