Kelly Toop, convicted of the brutal murder of a real estate agent in Duncan and the attempted murder and rape of another woman, has had his day parole reinstated for a second time. This decision comes after previous suspensions due to concerning behavior and issues with his release plan.
Key Takeaways
- Kelly Toop's day parole has been reinstated after being suspended twice previously.
- Concerns cited include inappropriate comments, following a woman, and accessing pornography.
- His release plan is described as "largely unstructured," raising supervision challenges.
- Toop has a history of minimization, deflection, and manipulation, according to the Parole Board.
- He remains under strict conditions, including a ban from British Columbia.
Background of Crimes
Kelly James Toop, now 65, has been serving a life sentence since September 1983. He was found guilty of the first-degree murder of Suzanna Seto, a 29-year-old real estate appraiser, in a Duncan hotel room on June 2, 1980. Toop broke into Seto's room, sexually assaulted her, and then killed her with a concrete block. In November 1982, Toop also attacked a woman in Williams Lake, attempting to murder and rape her after forcing his way into her car. He left her for dead, but she survived.
Previous Parole Suspensions
This is the second time in less than a year that the Parole Board of Canada has reinstated day parole for Toop. He was first granted parole in June 2024, but it was suspended in October after "troubling situations" arose. These included making inappropriate sexual comments at an adult school program, following a woman and taking her picture without consent, and accessing pornography on his phone, violating his conditions. His parole was reinstated in December with modified conditions.
Recent Suspension and Reinstatement
In July, Toop's day parole was suspended again when the community residential facility where he was staying withdrew its support. The facility cited that Toop's behavior placed an "unreasonable monitoring burden" and highlighted the limitations of a community setting for managing an individual whose actions create "persistent doubt about his intentions." Caseworkers noted Toop's "minimization and deflection" and resistance to intervention. The Parole Board also cited inconsistencies in Toop's accounts regarding a housing situation, which undermined his credibility and made supervision difficult.
Current Conditions and Concerns
Despite the reinstatement, the Parole Board expressed dissatisfaction with Toop's behavior, issuing a formal reprimand. They noted his lack of transparency, manipulation of information, and failure to take full responsibility for his actions. Toop remains under several special conditions, including prohibitions on drug and alcohol consumption, no contact with victims or their families, a ban on pornography, and mandatory reporting of all relationships with females. He is also banned from British Columbia, with references in parole documents suggesting a connection to Quebec. The board considers his risk "manageable" but warns that further transgressions will lead to parole suspension. Psychological assessments have diagnosed Toop with antisocial personality disorder and sexual disorder, with a 2022 assessment confirming sexual sadism disorder in remission and an average risk of sexual recidivism.
