STEPHENVILLE, N.L. — A petition collected by the Bay St. George Status of Women demanding Robert Hilroy Legge not serve his parole time at West Bridge House in Stephenville has been sent to the proper authorities.
Janice Kennedy said the petition, containing 384 signatures, has been sent to Correctional Services Canada, the Parole Board of Canada, and to West Bridge House, a co-ed community residential centre for adult offenders.
She said West Bridge House forwarded the petition it received to Correctional Services Canada.
Information from the Parole Board of Canada stated a decision was made Aug. 13 to allow Legge to serve a second period of six months in pre-release day parole. Members of the Lucas family said they earned Legge wants to spend it at West Bridge House.
Legge was sentenced to serve life in prison, with no chance of full parole for 18 years, in 2005 for murdering Ann Maria Lucas, 56, on Sept. 21, 2003. She was brutally beaten by Legge, who struck her in the head repeatedly with a metal bar in her Alabama Terrace apartment in Stephenville.
The family of Lucas joined nearly 300 other people from the Bay St. George community for a rally held Oct. 11, at which the petition was introduced.
During the rally, Kennedy said the Bay St. George Status of Women did not want Legge back in the community for his day parole or any time after.
Correctional Service Canada confirmed in an emailed response that Legge is under federal jurisdiction, his eligibility date for day parole was Sept. 21, 2018, and his eligibility date for full parole is Sept. 21, 2021.
Due to the Privacy Act, Correctional Service Canada said is not able to disclose personal information, including the offender’s location.
Kennedy said as of Oct. 16, a video of the march after the rally had more than 12,000 views.
She suggested the petition doesn’t include the many people too fearful of Legge to add their names.