Man convicted of killing Indigenous woman with trailer hitch released on day parole

A man convicted of manslaughter in the death of an Indigenous woman after throwing a trailer hitch at her from a moving vehicle in Thunder Bay, Ont., has been released on day parole, two years into his eight-year sentence.

A written decision by the Parole Board of Canada says 24-year-old Brayden Bushby was granted day parole in August for a period of six months, but he was denied full parole.

The board says Bushby's day parole conditions include not consuming alcohol or drugs, following a substance treatment plan and not having contact with the victim's family.

Bushby was sentenced in 2021 to eight years in prison for killing 34-year-old Barbara Kentner in 2017 by throwing a trailer hitch at her after drinking heavily with friends.

Kentner was seriously injured in the attack and died several months later in hospital.

The case drew condemnation from Indigenous people in Thunder Bay and beyond as it made national headlines.

The parole board decision says that Bushby has a low likelihood of reoffending but that he will have to maintain his sobriety, manage his emotions, and restrain his impulses consistently outside of prison in order to receive full parole.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2023.