Convicted killer Ernest Egon Jensen missing after suspected escape from BC prison

A major search is underway after a convicted killer believed to have escaped from a federal prison on Vancouver Island was reported missing, prompting police to warn the public not to approach him.

According to the Correctional Service of Canada, staff discovered that 69-year-old Ernest Egon Jensen was missing from William Head Institution in Metchosin, British Columbia, during a headcount at noon on Sunday.

Jensen is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, imposed in 1991, and has previous convictions for break and enter and trespassing.

The West Shore RCMP said it has deployed "extensive patrols" in the area as officers search for Jensen, who is wanted on a warrant for being unlawfully at large.

Police said: "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 added that Police Dog Services and Air Services have also joined the operation.

Jensen is described as five feet eight inches tall, bald and of heavy build.

Police have urged anyone who sees him not to approach him and instead call 911 immediately.

According to the report, this is not the first escape from William Head Institution. In 2019, two inmates escaped the prison before later being convicted of first-degree murder following the killing of a local resident.

============