Jeffrey Ewert, a convicted murderer who had been studying at McGill University, is no longer enrolled, the university says.
In a memo sent to students on Monday, McGill informed students of the decision, without specifying whether Ewert withdrew voluntarily or the university revoked his enrollment.
The memo, sent by Provost Angela Campbell, said McGill is also starting an independent review of the admissions process, starting with the Faculty of Law, which is expected to take several months to complete.
“The goal of this review is to make sure existing procedures are sufficiently rigorous, set clearly defined responsibilities, and reflect our values, our academic mission, and our duty of care,” Campbell wrote.
In a separate statement to CTV News, a McGill spokesperson said provincial privacy laws prevent the university from disclosing more details about Ewert’s enrollment status. It also stated that criminal background checks are not typically part of the admissions process at universities in Canada.
His presence on the McGill campus sparked a debate about university safety and second chances, with some students defending his presence on campus and highlighting that the Parole Board of Canada deemed it safe to release him on day parole. Other students, however, felt that the university has put women on campus at risk, particularly female students, and that McGill should have been more transparent about the situation.
Ewert started his studies at McGill in August after his day parole was extended in June for another six months. He continues to serve a life sentence after being convicted of second-degree murder and attempted murder for separate attacks on women in the 1980s in British Columbia when he was in his 20s.
In the first case, he met a young woman at a bar and offered her a ride home. He then strangled her until she lost consciousness and then sexually assaulted her. She died from the attack.
Weeks later, he committed a second attack on a 15-year-old girl. He severely beat her and strangled her after she refused his advances. Believing she was dead from the attack, he threw her in a ditch and she was found the next day. She suffered significant brain damage, is now blind, and quadriplegic.
Ewert, who is now in his 60s, was sent back to custody on Oct. 25 after a suspension warrant was issued while Correctional Service Canada conducts a “thorough assessment of the situation,” CSC spokesperson Kevin Antonucci said at the time.
“CSC may suspend an offender’s conditional release when there are reasonable grounds to believe that the offender has breached a condition of release or that the risk they present can no longer be safely managed in the community.”
Days before he was sent back to custody, students released an 83-page letter detailing several allegations of inappropriate conduct on campus, including claims of Ewert approaching young female classmates who were under the influence of alcohol during frosh events and making female students feel unsafe.
Ewert’s lawyer told CTV News on Monday that she would provide comments later in the week after she has had a chance to speak to her client.
She said in a statement on Oct. 23 that those allegations in the letter lacked context and that her client was being continuously monitored by the relevant authorities, including his cellphone activity, while out on parole.
