Frank Gale
THE WESTERN STAR
STEPHENVILLE, N.L. — Robert Hilroy Legge was granted another six months of day parole as of Feb. 3 by the Parole Board of Canada, but it doesn’t seem like he’ll be living in the area where he committed his brutal crime.
He was given a life sentence for murdering 56-year-old Ann Maria Lucas on Sept. 21, 2003.
Legge killed her with repeated blows to the head with a metal bar in her Alabama Terrace apartment in Stephenville. At the time, he was under a court order to stay away from her.
Judge Richard LeBlanc sentenced him in 2005 to life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 18 years from the date of his arrest.
This latest day parole comes on the heels of two previous six-month periods of parole that began on Feb. 18, 2019 and renewed on Aug. 13, 2019.
In its most recent decision, the Parole Board of Canada said it remained confident Legge will stay engaged in his correctional plan and will continue to address the issues that contributed to his crime. The board said given the amount of time he has spent incarcerated, it is important to continue with a gradual and structured granting of freedoms.
“This will provide you with an environment of support, as well as the supervision and monitoring you require as you continue to demonstrate the changes you are making are genuine and can be sustained over time,” the board said.
The board noted it is satisfied his risk factors are being properly managed with the day parole plan and his risk to public safety remains manageable.
The board said Legge dealt with the disappointment of not being able to relocate to western Newfoundland during his second stint of day parole. After public outcry in the Stephenville area, it was deemed best for him to remain at his current day parole location in eastern Newfoundland.
Lisa Howell-McFatridge, a friend of Ann Maria Lucas, said the recent decision still stirs up fear among Lucas’s family and their friends. She said she’s saddened the justice system would grant a convicted murderer the freedom to do what he pleases.
“Without a doubt, he will reoffend and now Ann’s family and friends have to live in fear again,” said Howell-McFatridge, giving voice to her greatest concern. “Hopefully the loud volume spoken last fall will help keep him out of Bay St. George.”
Close to 300 people took part in a demonstration last fall in Stephenville, marching to send a message they didn’t want Legge back in the Bay St. George area.
The board said, to his credit, Legge handled this well, managed his emotions appropriately and relied on others for support and guidance in dealing with the situation.
“It is obvious you are committed to making positive changes in your life in order to be able to live in society as a productive law-abiding citizen,” the report said.
The Western Star tried to contact Legge for comment through a representative of Turnings, a community agency providing support to individuals involved in the justice system seeking help to integrate within the community. Legge, who is in his early 80s, declined the interview request.
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