Ex-Mountie who killed fiancée granted escorted absences from jail

Photo: Castanet Staff

Keith Wiens

A retired Summerland RCMP officer serving a life sentence for the second-degree murder of his fiancée has been granted escorted temporary absences from prison. 

Keith Wiens, 64, shot and killed Lynn Kalmring inside the couple’s Penticton home on Aug. 16, 2011, later convicted by a jury and sentenced to life in prison with no eligibility for full parole for 13 years. 

In a decision last week, the Parole Board of Canada accepted Wiens’ request for escorted absences from prison to allow him to participate in community service activities at sites approved by the warden. 

The absences will be up to eight hours in duration and not exceed 40 hours a month, under close supervision “within sight and sound” except for short bathroom breaks. 

The parole board added a special condition requiring him to report all relationships and friendships with women to his parole supervisor, given his high risk to reoffend when it comes to domestic violence. 

During his trial, Wiens admitted to the shooting but claimed he acted in self-defence during an argument in the bedroom, something the jury rejected. Wiens has continued to maintain his innocence, attempting to appeal his conviction until he was finally dismissed in late 2016.

“You continue to deny that the offence was intentional and despite your appeal not being successful you continue to pursue other avenues to deal with your perception of injustice,” the Parole Board of Canada response to Wiens said, noting he still has open complaints and requests for review before the RCMP Complaints Commission and Department of Justice. 

From behind bars, Wiens continued to fight the Kalmring family in civil court over the $500,000 in joint assets the couple had until at least June 2018, court documents show. 

A psychological assessment completed in Sept. 2018 showed Wiens' stance on the murder has “softened a bit."

“You now admit you could have done more to avoid the shooting, by leaving the house, not having a loaded gun accessible and perhaps not drinking,” the parole board said.

Wiens slept with a handgun under his pillow after a 25-year career with the RCMP.

The same assessment found his risk for general and violent recidivism to be low, while his risk for intimate partner violence remains high. 

“Any attempts on your part to initiate a friendship or intimate relationship with a female needs to be closely monitored to prevent any other female from being in a position of risk,” the parole board said.

Wiens told the parole board he will not contact any of the victim’s family members in any way.