Mother heartbroken that Thorold baby’s killer gets full parole

“I didn’t believe in my mind that somebody that does a depraved act like that would actually have a free life again,” she said this week.

“It smashes my heart to pieces, for justice wasn’t done and I don’t think it ever will be.”

A court heard McBride, then 26, sexually assaulted baby Alecia twice in November 1985 and on a third occasion became “enraged” she wouldn’t stop crying.

He beat her and threw her in a box of clothes, then cleaned her up and put her to bed. Though the baby was struggling to breathe, he didn’t call 911.

McBride pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October 1986 and was sentenced in December 1986 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years. That was later increased to 15 years by the Ontario Court of Appeal after the Crown argued the sentence didn’t reflect the gravity of the crime.

Now 64, he was granted full parole this year in a March 21 decision Bondy said went into effect on April 2.

You might be interested in

• Dec 31, 1969

• Dec 31, 1969

He must abide by conditions, including that he have no contact with Bondy or any member of her family and not be in the presence of children under 16 unless accompanied by an adult who knows of his criminal history. He can’t have drugs, alcohol or pornography or be in the presence of sex trade workers.

Bondy said she’s written 25 to 30 victim impact statements over the years and was part of letter-writing campaigns opposing McBride’s release.

She also fought his day parole into Winnipeg, where her extended family lives, so they wouldn’t fear running into him.

“I feel like it was for naught,” she said. “All the things that I’ve done, and even trying to keep him out of Manitoba, didn’t work.”

Bondy was 18 when she married McBride at Trinity United Church in 1985 and the couple moved into her parents’ home on Townline Road West.

She went to work at a marketing job in St. Catharines soon after the baby was born, something she said she regrets. Her husband worked as a chef at night and could babysit during the day.

On Nov. 1, 1985, she called home on a lunch break and McBride told her the baby died in his arms.

Bondy was shocked to learn of the murder and sexual assaults and said she couldn’t cope for years. It was almost 30 years before she had a memorial and started talking publicly about Alecia’s story.

She left Niagara shortly after the murder because she said people would sit in their cars outside the Thorold house, staring, pointing and honking. Her parents had to sell the house.

In its decision, the the Parole Board of Canada wrote McBride did not present an “undue risk” to society if released on full parole and was assessed as low risk to reoffend sexually and generally.

The board said it took note of the victims’ and community objections to McBride’s release.

His day parole was revoked in 2011 and 2019 when he “demonstrated an inability” to follow release conditions and expectations that raised concerns with the board.

But after getting another day parole release in January 2022, the board said McBride had been supervised in the community for more than 24 months with “satisfactory performance.”

It said McBride has a job and is continuing to make progress toward his correctional plan. In discussions with the board, it said he is articulate, able “to speak to insights and remorse” and is “future-oriented with long-term goals.”

“In weighing and balancing all information, the board assesses the positives outweigh the negatives, therefore, the board grants full parole effective immediately.”

Bondy said she always knew the system would eventually let McBride out, but it was still hard to bear.

“To think that he was just let out like, ‘Go and live your life,’ it minimizes what damage he’s done, what damage he did to my family. What pain he’s caused me that I’ve had to deal with,” she said.

“So yeah, it’s a shock in that way, but not a shock because I know the system was probably mandated to reintegrate at all cost. Even the most depraved acts of raping a baby and killing a baby, they’re mandated to check those boxes and when they have their programming, then they let them out.”

Bondy has posted a petition on change.org, asking the federal justice minister to look into McBride’s full parole release and why he was never added to the national sex offender registry.

“When your heart is smashed to pieces, the justice system kind of treads on it even more so after,” she said.

“It certainly doesn’t mitigate more harm to the victims, as it’s supposed to.”

Alecia would be 38 years old now. Bondy, who still lives in the province, plans to visit her Thorold grave again soon.

“Recently I was thinking about what she would have been or what she would have been like,” she said.

“Because I know as a baby, she was peaceful and a real joy to be around, for the time that I had her and held her.”