The man responsible for the death of a nine-year-old Ontario boy, Brandon Burchell, is now staying in B.C. on an unescorted temporary absence (UTA).
Sixty-three-year-old Douglas Floyd Lambier is out of prison for 60 days. The Parole Board of Canada authorized this leave for “personal development” reasons.
Lambier, who has white hair and wears glasses, is currently staying at the Salvation Army Victoria Addictions and Rehabilitation Centre at 525 Johnson Street in Victoria.
While on his UTA, Lambier must participate in an eight-week “Skills for Recovery” program. The board did not grant him full parole, and the decision notes that Lambier himself acknowledged he is not ready for full parole.
His UTA conditions are:
According to the Parole Board decision, Lambier was in a long-term relationship with Brandon Burchell’s grandmother when he murdered the child in 2005.
The board says Lambier was under an order not to be in the presence of minors without supervision. Despite that, he invited the 9-year-old to his home, knowing no one would be there.
The board also says Lambier gave the victim alcohol and caused his death by smothering him. Lambier contacted emergency services the following morning and reported that the victim was not breathing.
The decision notes that when Brandon was found, the button and zipper of his shorts were undone.
“He was suffocated, and it was with a pillowcase. They did say he was intoxicated,” said Tina Gervais, Brandon’s mother.
“Underneath his nails, he had Douglas’ skin, so they say he was probably trying to fight for his life.”
The Parole Board decision says that during the police investigation, Brandon’s sibling disclosed that Lambier had given him alcohol and touched him sexually about a month before the murder. Lambier was charged with sexual assault, sexual interference, and invitation to sexual touching. Those charges were withdrawn in 2006.
In 1990, Lambier received a three-year federal sentence for sexually assaulting a minor female family member. According to the board, he was babysitting the girl and was under the influence of alcohol when he touched her unclothed chest, stomach, and genitals.
In 1996, he was convicted of sexual assault involving another minor female family member. The board says he made her touch him sexually. Lambier received 10 months in custody and three years of probation.
The most recent institutional concern cited by the board is from 2017, when Lambier exposed himself to another offender, although charges were not laid.
“Do I think that people do change? Maybe they do. But for Douglas Lambier? I don’t think that anything is going to change for him,” Gervais told CityNews.
She says she is very concerned about the Parole Board’s decision.
“Our systems failed, and we need a change; we shouldn’t have people like him out in our community,” she said.
“He got a life sentence; he should serve his whole life sentence. I think the community should be aware of his whereabouts when there’s children around. I’m going to make sure he’s known out there because it can happen to another family.”
She is worried for families and that not enough people living near him will know of his temporarily release.
“He was transferred out to British Columbia because nobody knows him out there. He can start fresh.”
Victoria Police did not notify the public that Lambier would be staying in the city. In a statement, it said, “We conduct a thorough risk assessment to determine whether a public notification is warranted. In this instance, that assessment determined that a public notification was not required.”
Lambier getting a chance to start fresh, knowing her son will never get that, was something Gervais mentioned in her victim statement, which she shared with us.
“My son Brandon was nine years old. He had his whole life ahead of him. He loved riding his bike. He loved going to school. He had dreams, laughter, a future and so many things he should have been able to experience,” the statement says.
“For Lambier, walking around a prison yard and looking at mountains may seem like a small thing. But for me, those words are a reminder of everything my son was robbed of. He gets to wake up every morning. He gets to breathe. He gets to walk. He gets to see the sky. He gets to see the mountains. He gets to see wildlife. My son gets none of that.”
“Brandon doesn’t get another morning. He doesn’t get another birthday. He doesn’t get to become a teenager, a young man, a husband, a father, or a grandfather. He doesn’t get to discover what his life could have been.”
“I am his mother. I will never stop grieving him. I will never stop saying his name. And I will never stop being his voice. Brandon deserved a lifetime. He was given a grave.”
