There’s no doubt about the almost palpable sense of relief when one of Canada’s most vile criminals was yet again denied parole..David Shearing — who now goes by David Ennis — is in fact so hated, guards at the the institution where the con is housed wouldn’t mind if he had an “accident,” says one ex-con who was behind bars with Ennis in Bowden Institution, located between it’s namesake town and Innisfail, Alta..Ex-con Jose — who did not want his true identity revealed because he’s concerned going on record would jeopardize his upcoming hearing to upgrade from his current day parole status, to full parole— said Ennis is so despised by the guards they’ve let it be known there would be no repercussions if the child rapist and convicted killer had an “accident.”.“(Ennis) has no friends in jail. Nobody likes him.” said Jose, who recalled once being pulled aside by a prison guard..“He said if I wanted to push (Ennis) down the stairs, or if he was tickled by a shank, or I just wanted to kill him, (the guards) ain’t gonna see nothin’, and they ain’t gonna say nothin’,” Jose recalled..“That’s exactly what they said.”.Jose, with decades behind bars himself for various crimes — many violent — declined to act on the apparent offer..“I just couldn’t see doing more time for that piece of s—,” he said..Ennis started his crime spree when he shot and killed grandparents George and Edith Bentley, then their daughter Jackie Johnson and her husband, Bob, in August of 1982 as they camped north of Kamloops in Wells Gray Provincial Park..Far from finished, the vile man — who did not know the victims — then abducted the Johnsons’ 13- and 11-year-old daughters, Janet and Karen, and spent several days torturing and sexually abusing them before taking them one at a time into the woods and finally killing them..Ennis then put all six bodies into the Johnsons’ car and set it ablaze..Not convicted of the sexual assaults, Ennis pleaded guilty in 1984 to six counts of second-degree murder..Describing the mass murders as “a cold-blooded and senseless execution of six defenseless and innocent people,” the presiding judge sentenced Ennis to life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years..Ennis applied for parole in 2008, again in 2012, and finally about two weeks ago. He also applied in 2014, but later withdrew the request..Reasons for denying his first bid for early freedom were stated by the National Parole Board that noted Ennis still maintained violent sexual fantasies and hadn’t completed sex offender treatment. The second application was denied when a petition with 13,258 signatures was presented to the board..The latest hearing on September 15 also saw a petition — this time with 15,258 signatures urging the parole board not to release him — presented to the board..The clear and massive support from friends and family members of the victims who show for every single one of Ennis’ parole hearings has not waned..“To give you an idea,” said Jose, “my parole hearing was in a little office — you know where his was? In the chapel so it could accommodate everyone who wanted to (attend the hearing).”.Calling Ennis a skinner, a diddler, and a goof — prison lingo for rapist, child molester and goof is an insult behind bars that guarantees a fight — Jose said most cons just call him, “Monster.”.When Jose was still inside, he said Ennis was working at the joint’s canteen for a time..“Then they moved him to laundry, to keep him away from everyone.”.Ennis managed to get married more than 15 years ago to a former Bible study instructor while behind bars and he enjoys several scheduled conjugal visits each year, said Jose..“But that don’t matter,” he said. “I’ve had guards tell me as long as he’s here, he ain’t never getting out —they’ll never let him out.”.Yet, Jose maintain Ennis will indeed get out beyond prison walls at some point..“But it’ll be in a pine box.”.Ennis remains in Bowden Institution..Mike D’Amour is a former investigative crime reporter for Sun Media and is the British Columbia Bureau Chief for the Western Standard..,.mdamour@westernstandardonline.com
