The man who was convicted of organizing the murder of Mission鈥檚 Lisa Dudley and Guthrie McKay is out on day parole after serving less than three years of a 10-year sentence.

It鈥檚 shocking news to the parents of the victims.

Dorothy McKay said the fact that one of her son鈥檚 killers was out on parole has brought up some powerful emotions.

鈥淚鈥檓 deeply sickened that the parole is happening so soon,鈥� she said.

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Thomas Robert Holden, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder in connection with the deaths of Lisa Dudley, 37, and Guthrie McKay, 33, who were shot in a home on Greenwood Drive in rural Mission on Sept. 18, 2008. A neighbour found them four days later.

McKay was pronounced dead at the scene after suffering from three gunshots, while Dudley, who had been shot once in the head and once in the neck, was still alive. She was airlifted to hospital where she later died.

Four men were eventually charged: Jack Woodruff, Justin MacKinnon, Bruce Main and Holden.

Holden was sentenced in February 2017, in B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster, after admitting his involvement in both deaths. He became eligible for day release on Oct. 3.

Dorothy McKay said the fact that Holden has been granted day parole after such a short time 鈥渢rivializes two people鈥檚 lives.鈥�

鈥淚 can鈥檛 express the deep profound loss this has been for our lives, of losing our son. We鈥檝e been kind of quiet all through this. It鈥檚 been very painful and we needed to do some healing. This resurfacing again just opens it all up. It鈥檚 very hard on the family,鈥� she said adding her son was a 鈥渓over of life.鈥�

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Lisa Dudley鈥檚 step-father Mark Surakka expressed similar feelings of despair and anger.

鈥淲hen Rosemarie (Dudley鈥檚 mother) got the call that he was asking for it (day parole) and then a week or so later she got a call that he had received it, that was a pretty hard slap in the face for her.鈥�

He said the decision devalues human life.

鈥淗ow is it possible for someone who orchestrates a double murder, directs it and then gets off. What kind of message does that send to society? Is that a deterrent?

鈥淚t鈥檚 a year and four months per murder,鈥� said Surakka.

While the decision was devastating, Surakka said he was not surprised or shocked.

鈥淧eople keep blaming it on the system, but it isn鈥檛. It鈥檚 the individuals in the system, the judge, the parole board, they are the people responsible for the decisions.鈥�

What makes it even worse, according to Surakka is that Holden will be eligible for full parole in March 2020.

kevin.mills@missioncityrecord.com
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