Law enforcement on Vancouver Island are conducting an extensive manhunt for a convicted murderer who escaped from a minimum-security prison.
Ernest Egon Jensen, 69, was reported missing during a midday headcount on Sunday, June 28, 2026, at the William Head Institution in Metchosin, British Columbia.
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Correctional Service Canada stated that Jensen has been serving a life sentence for second-degree murder since March 20, 1991, and also has prior convictions for breaking and entering.
Jensen is described as a Caucasian male, five feet eight inches tall, weighing 230 pounds, with a fair complexion, brown eyes, a bald head, a scar on his forehead, and missing three fingers on his left hand.
The West Shore RCMP has issued an arrest warrant for Jensen under Section 145(1) of the Criminal Code of Canada for being unlawfully at large.
Officials have warned the public that he poses an active threat to safety.
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“He is dangerous,” the West Shore RCMP stated, emphasizing the urgency of the search.
Mounties have mobilized multiple specialized units, including police dog services and aerial surveillance, to scour the area around the correctional facility and the municipality of Metchosin, about 30 kilometers southwest of Victoria.
“You will see a heavy police presence in the area near William Head Institution as police officers continue their search outside the facility and William Head staff continue a comprehensive search inside their institution grounds,” the RCMP said.
The public is urged to call 911 immediately if they spot Jensen, and to report non-emergency information to the West Shore RCMP detachment.
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The escape has revived concerns following a similar incident in July 2019, when inmates James Lee Busch and Zachary Armitage escaped from the same facility and murdered a local resident.
