Quebec provincial police (SQ) have issued an arrest warrant for Lori Bill Germa, who escaped from a minimum security unit of the Archambault Institution in the Laurentians on Saturday night.
He has been serving an indefinite sentence for first-degree murder since May 5, 1992.
According to Correctional Services Canada (CSC), staff at the multi-level security federal prison in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines, Que., noticed he was missing during the 10 p.m. headcount.
Germa, 69, is about 5′10″, 166 pounds, with pale skin, brown eyes and a bald head. He has several tattoos on his right arm, including a sword with the name Carol, two seahorses and two dragons. He has a scar on his left leg.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 911 or contact their local station.
CSC say they will investigate the circumstances around the escape and are working with police to locate the inmate as quickly as possible and he may face additional charges or be relocated to higher-security facility.
- READ MORE: A brief history of Quebec prison escapes
CTV News reported that at least three other inmates recently escaped from the same institution, including one in February, one in June and another in February 2024.
CSC said in an email to CTV News that minimum security facilities are designed to promote pro-social behaviour and foster the skills necessary to function in a minimally supervised setting, and that “the perimeter is clearly defined but does not include a fence.”
“This climate contributes to a safer institutional environment for staff and other prisoners,” CSC said.
“Despite recent cases of escapes, it should be noted that these remain rare. The number of people who have escaped from a federal correctional facility represents only about 0.1 per cent of the prison population,” it added.
