A man who got his Mount Douglas Secondary School classmates to kill his mother and grandmother in order to get a $4-million inheritance has been granted unescorted stays at a halfway house, after a similar request was rejected last fall.
Darren Huenemann, now known as Darren Gowen, 鈥渙rchestrated鈥� the 1990 murders of Sharon Huenemann and Doris Leatherbarrow in Leatherbarrow鈥檚 Tsawwassen home, and stayed home with his girlfriend on the night they were carried out, according to the Parole Board of Canada decision.
After a hearing in Quebec, where he is in a minimum-security correctional facility, the board granted Gowen one two-day unescorted temporary absence per month at a community residential facility or halfway house, beginning with two two-day absences. Halfway-house stays could increase to three days if things go well.
The purpose is for resocialization, which the board said is viewed as 鈥渞ealistic and attainable.鈥�
Gowan has previously had escorted temporary absences, but in October, the parole board denied his request for unescorted temporary absences from his facility in Quebec, saying that while he has made some progress in addressing his anger and narcissistic personality 颅disorder, he still presents a 颅moderate risk to reoffend.
Now in his late 40s, he was found guilty in 1996 of escaping from custody and assault causing bodily harm.
The board鈥檚 decision said a 2017 psychiatric report found that he had made 鈥渟ignificant progress鈥� over the years in terms of accountability and other issues, although he continues to have narcissistic and antisocial traits.
Meanwhile, Derik Lord, who carried out the killings along with David Muir, has had his day parole extended for another six months.
Lord is serving two life sentences for first-degree murder. Now 48, he continues to deny the killings, which the parole board called a 鈥渧ery challenging鈥� issue.
Married with a son, Lord previously had his day parole, which began in March 2020, extended last December. He has been working full-time at a halfway house.
Lord and Muir, then 17, went to Leatherbarrow鈥檚 Tsawwassen home to commit the murder, Lord鈥檚 parole board decision said. 鈥淵ou and one of your associates entered the home and repeatedly hit the victims on the head with a crowbar,鈥� the decision said. 鈥淵ou then stabbed them in the throat.
鈥淵ou attempted to make it look like there had been a robbery.鈥�
Lord, Muir and Huenemann were all convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. Muir, the only one of the three to admit he took part in the killings, has been on full parole since 2003.
The parole board decision said Lord had behavioural problems while incarcerated, including conflicts with staff and setting fires. But the board said he benefited from learning about his Indigenous heritage approximately 10 years ago.
鈥淩eports indicate that elders elevated you to a position of trust in relation to ceremony and cultural activities and that this was a significant positive factor for you.鈥�
The board said two weekend leaves went well for Lord, and he expressed appreciation about being able to put his child to bed.
The sentencing judge said that 鈥渓ust and greed of material gain鈥� were behind the crime, according to the decision, and the victims鈥� loved ones 鈥渃ontinue to suffer from extreme pain and trauma.鈥�
Ed Beketa, Leatherbarrow鈥檚 brother-in-law, said he wasn鈥檛 surprised at the parole board decisions.
鈥淚 knew it was going to happen,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hese guys should have never got out of jail at all.
鈥淣ow with all three of them out, I don鈥檛 know if it鈥檚 getting to a bit of a closure because we won鈥檛 be going to the hearings every two years.鈥�
