Convicted killer allowed to leave prison to visit graves of family members
Jeffrey Salomonie of Kinngait serving life sentence for sexual assault, murder; will be restrained and accompanied by correctional officers
Jeffrey Salomonie, shown here in 2016, is serving a life sentence in federal prison for sexual assault and murder. The Parole Board of Canada is allowing the man to visit the graves of his relatives. (File photo)
The Parole Board of Canada has allowed a Kinngait man serving a life sentence for rape and murder to have an escorted leave from prison to visit the graves of his relatives.
Jeffrey Salomonie was found guilty in April 2016 of sexually assaulting and killing 33-year-old Daisy Curley in May 2009 in Iqaluit.
He was handed a life sentence with a 25-year period of parole ineligibility.
Salomonie went through a psychological risk assessment in April that determined he had a high risk of committing a violent crime again and was in the average-risk category to commit a sexual offence.
Despite that, the board found it “desirable” for Salomonie to visit the graves of deceased family members, as it will assist him with “processing feelings of grief” and “attaining closure.”
Salomonie was to visit the graves in spring or summer 2024, according to the parole board’s decision dated July 18.
The board provided Nunatsiaq News with a copy of the decision, which is heavily redacted.
The locations of the graves, Salomonie’s current prison and the institution that agreed to house him during his visit, are all withheld.
The parole board also did not provide the date of the visit and it’s not clear whether the visit has happened yet.
These redactions protect against jeopardizing safety, revealing information obtained in confidence, and also help to protect the eventual reintegration of Salomonie into society, said Cindy Golemiec, regional spokesperson for Parole Board of Canada, in an email.
At the time of the decision, the flights were not yet booked. It was expected that Salomonie would be flown with one stop to a gravesite, accompanied by two correctional officers. This visit was expected to take one to two hours.
He would have to be in restraint equipment and remain within sight and sound of the correctional officers for the duration of the visit.
A traditional service was not expected, but the boards allowed Salomonie to participate in “culturally specific practices.”
After that, Salomonie and escorting officers would be flown to a community 45 minutes from the graves, where he would visit another cemetery with his wife only. He would be housed there in agreement with an unidentified institution.
He should visit the grave of his victim and beg for forgiveness
What is the point of being jailed if you are allowed excursions? He killed someone and was convicted. His punishment is that he loses his societal privileges’. Someone will comment re: where is the passion? Where is the passion for the victim and the victim’s family?
Why give nunatsiaq news copy if its heavily redacted? My point is what’s the point of sharing it to nunatsiaq news if they won’t share to the public???
Off who’s expense the family members of my tax money? So if he’s doing this ever Canadian’s that has a life sentence has the rights to do this also.
Pretty sure the Curley family would like to get an all-expense paid trip to visit and mourn but they won’t get that will they? Something is seriously wrong with our parole system when a convicted rapist and murderer (with a high likelihood to reoffend) is given the opportunity to travel and mourn when his victim’s family doesn’t get the same consideration.
I totally disagree with this rapist murderer being allowed to go and mourn for his immediate family members. As a father whose 19 year old son was brutally murdered on March 19, 2018, I would have opposed the murderer to attend his immediate families funeral. He lost his human rights and freedom when he decided to viciously kill my son. I do hope my son’s murderer will have to serve at least 25 years before being eligible for a parole hearing. You murder someone, you should rot and die in prison. From a grieving fathers point of view. The canadian justice system suks.
What does “the average-risk category to commit a sexual offence” mean?
I’m a pretty sure if the posters here were in his shoes, they’d probably want to go to the funeral as well if their loved ones died. Everyone needs a closure regardless.
Pretty sure most of the posters here wouldn’t rape and murder someone after a night out at the legion. You don’t need to visit a grave to have closure.
Can the victims family attend with hockey sticks and baseball bats?
Please???!!!
Let God decide his fate.
Waste of tax payers money…..he lost his rights when he took the life of another human being.
He took his charges to trial calming to be innocent, he never showed any remorse, he put the family though hell. Why should we pity him?