Robert Raymond Dezwaan was convicted of killing a 16-year-old girl in 2001 and escaped from a minimum security unit in Mission, B.C. on April 14, 2017. Correctional Service Canada

Escaped inmate from B.C.’s Mission Institution recaptured

MISSION, B.C. – A convicted killer who went missing from the minimum security unit of the Mission Institution in British Columbia has been recaptured.

The Correctional Service of Canada says Robert Raymond Dezwann, 53, was arrested by Fraser Valley RCMP at about 11:15 a.m. Saturday.

Dezwann had been missing since Friday afternoon, when prison staff discovered he wasn't accounted for and immediately contacted the RCMP.

Dezwann, of Kelowna, B.C., was serving a life sentence with no chance of parole for 15 years after being convicted of second degree murder in 2003.

He was found guilty of strangling 16-year-old Cherish Oppenheim in Merrit, B.C. in 2001, and leaving her body in a wooded area.

The correctional service says it's investigating the circumstance around his escape, and ensuring public safety remains a priority.

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Kim Anderson

Kim Anderson

Originally from a northern B.C. town that boasts a giant fly fishing rod and a population of 3,100, Kim moved to Kamloops in 2011 to attend Thompson Rivers University. Kim is as comfortable behind a camera as she is writing on her laptop. After graduating with a degree in journalism, Kim has been busy with an independent freelance writing project and photography work. Contact Kim at kanderson@infonews.ca with news tips or story ideas.

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