Serial killer loses latest bid to exit maximum-security mental health facility

Convicted serial killer Russell Johnson remains too dangerous to be moved out of a maximum-security mental health facility.

The Ontario Review Board, which has jurisdiction over those found not fit to stand trial or not criminally responsible for mental health reasons, has decided Johnson cannot be moved to medium security after 45 years of incarceration at a maximum-security mental health institution.

“The board finds that Mr. Johnson continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that the necessary and appropriate disposition is a continuation of the current disposition without change,” it said in its written decision released this week.

However, the door was left slightly open for a chance that Johnson could at some point, though unlikely, be granted a move to medium security.

The board said it was concerned there was no plan in place should Johnson be granted a move, pointing out there is no psychiatrist or psychologist in the high-security division at Waypoint Center for Mental Health Care, where Johnson is being held, who specializes in treating sex offenders.

“In our view at this point, it would be appropriate for the hospital to seek an outside consultation with an expert in the treatment of sex offenders to determine if there are any programs or treatment which may be of assistance as well as to obtain an updated opinion with respect to Mr. Johnson’s suitability for transfer to a less secure facility,” the report said.

The board also asked for information in the future from medium security facilities about “what measures, if any, they might feel would be necessary to manage risk should Mr. Johnson be transferred to such a facility.”

Johnson, 74, known as the Bedroom Strangler, was found not guilty by reason of insanity, on Feb. 1, 1978, for three first-degree murders of women in London and Guelph, two in 1974 and one in 1977. He admitted to four additional murders and 10 other attacks on women in the 1970s.

Johnson attacked women who were alone in their apartments, sometimes climbing the outside walls several storeys by balconies to gain entry. The women were sexually assaulted and strangled or choked.

He has been detained at Waypoint in Penetanguishene for almost the whole time since his high-profile case was heard in London.

He is entitled to annual reviews of his case. His latest was on Dec. 2 and had been delayed a year by the pandemic. This time it was held through a video link. Twenty-one family members of Johnson’s victims joined the hearing to offer victim impact statements.

The board heard that Johnson’s current mental health diagnoses include sexual sadism, voyeurism, fetishism, necrophilia and narcissistic personality disorder. But there have been no management concerns and Johnson’s work in the woodshop was commented on. He was described as “active and fit for his age, albeit overweight.”

At issue was Johnson’s level of risk and whether he could be transferred to a medium-security institution. At past hearings there have been differing opinions from psychiatric experts.

One doctor who tested at the hearing and advocated for Johnson not to be transferred told the board Johnson’s risk level remains high, noting “Mr. Johnson is a model institutional patient and can lull staff into a false sense of security” and “is not in any way frail or infirm.”

The board found “the evidence supporting a finding that Mr. Johnson continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public is overwhelming.”

“He suffers from a mental disorder, sexual sadism, for which there is no cure, as well as narcissistic personality disorder and substance dependence disorders. He has a history of paraphilia, commencing as an adolescent, and has committed crimes which can only be described as horrific; crimes that continue to impact the victims and their families to the present day.”

The board said that any re-offence would be “grave” and all the forensic experts had considered him a high-risk offender.

The board was concerned Johnson wouldn’t participate in an assessment for a clinical guide. It also hasgreed with one psychiatrist who pointed out Johnson has “a broader tendency on his part to avoid situations which may portray him in a bad light.”

There is “an inescapable conclusion that Mr. Johnson continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public,” the decision said.

Bill Veldboom, brother of Donna Veldboom, who was Johnson’s last victim, said in an email that Johnson’s case is now so dated that many of the people who looked after the file are retired and it’s been left up to the families to update and educate new prosecutors and experts about Johnson’s dangers before each new hearing.

While he said he applauded the efforts made by the Crown and other participants, “it is simply that it becomes disheartening to learn that, without the families remaining vigilant and involved, it appears likely that Mr. Johnson could be released from Waypoint.”

Veldboom was clear the families’ participation isn’t about revenge but “about keeping an unrepentant person who continues to suffer from his constellation of illnesses from harming another woman.

“Personally, I look forward to the day that Mr. Johnson demonstrates remorse for his crimes, is healed of his psychological illnesses and reconciles with the families of his many victims. Based on the findings in the official hospital report, the experts suggest this is unlikely, however, we can always hope for miracles,” he said.

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