CANADA • Female, 11 ~ Shellbrook SK

Man who kidnapped girl to be released
Last Updated: Thursday, December 30, 2010

A Saskatchewan man convicted of abducting an 11-year-old girl has been denied parole several times, but will be getting out of federal prison on Friday.

Linden Bird, 25, has served two-thirds of his sentence for 2006 convictions on kidnapping, breaking and entering, overcoming resistance and theft of a vehicle, which means he's eligible for statutory release.

On Jan. 1, 2006, Bird broke into a home near Shellbrook, Sask. about 58 kilometres west of Prince Albert.

There, he grabbed the sleeping girl, put her in his truck and drove away.

Bird had been drinking and had cocaine and pills in his possession.

According to National Parole Board documents, Bird bit the girl on an arm and choked her until she was unconcious. Tests later showed she had opiates in her system.

Bird eventually stopped the vehicle and pushed the barefoot and lightly clad girl onto the highway. The girl got help at a nearby nursing home.

Bird later pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

He claimed to have blacked out during the events and couldn't remember what happened.

In June, the Parole Board turned down his latest request for parole.

The board wrote he kidnapped the girl just days after he was released from jail.

The board said it remains "very concerned" that Bird "continues to have issues with gang involvement." He is impulsive and has problems not being compliant with restrictions, the board report said.

However, the board also noted that Bird has completed numerous escorted temporary absences.

Statutory release is automatic once two thirds of a sentence is served.

Under the conditions of his release, he will have to stay away from drugs and alcohol.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/saskatchewan/story/2010/12/30/sk-linden-bird-1012.html#ixzz19edxmHkJ
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Linden David Jessie Bird of Montreal Lake First Nation was sentenced to seven years in prison, but will be released early. Dec 30, 2010.

http://saskatoon.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20101230/sask-pa-abduction-bird-101230/20101230/?hub=Saskatoon

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Respecting the needs of the ethnoculturally diverse
On a cold January night in 2006, Linden David Jessie Bird of the Montreal Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan kidnapped a sleeping 11 year old girl from a farmhouse in the small community of Shellbrook. He drugged her, choked her into unconsciousness, bit her and then dumped her off in a rural area outside of Canwood (approximately 22 km north). She was barefoot and still dressed in her pajamas and faced a wind chill of -37 Celsius (#).

How she did it God only knows but she somehow managed to make it to town and sought help at a nursing home. She could have easily died of exposure.

Linden Bird who had just been released from prison only days before was apprehended and plead guilty to the charges of kidnapping, breaking and entering, overcoming resistance and theft of a vehicle and was sentenced to seven years in prison.

Only seven years you say? But he just got out of prison. He is a known gang associate and according to the Parole Board of Canada he has 'issues' complying to restrictions. Yet almost four years to the date of his crime he was released because he had completed the required two thirds of his sentence. He is out there right now and accordingly his only condition is to stay away from drugs and alcohol.

According to the criminal code of Canada kidnapping charges are punishable by life in prison but since Linden Bird didn't try to ransom her he undoubtedly received the lesser sentence for unlawful imprisonment or abduction which is punishable by a minimal five year sentence. Work in the other bits and by Canadian standards he apparently was treated fairly - if they went exactly by the minimal book. They could have and should have thrown the book at him and I am sure that many share my disgust at this lack of justice.

Read more...
http://www.metisonline.ca/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=530:respecting-the-needs-of-the-ethnocultural-diverse&catid=18:blog&Itemid=13#comments