Toronto cop killer Clinton Junior Gayle is set to appear before the Parole Board of Canada again, seeking release and deportation to Jamaica less than two years after his last attempt.
Next week's hearing will be Gayle's fourth try, and the outcome is uncertain. If successful, he would be returned to his birthplace, a move that would be deeply offensive to the family of the police officer he executed, Const. Todd Baylis.
Gayle, 58, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in the cold-blooded June 1994 slaying of Baylis, 25, and the attempted murder of his partner, Mike Leone. The trial jury rejected Gayle's claim of self-defence, and he later admitted to "panicking" when he opened fire.
Gayle's story has shifted over the years, with him claiming at one point that he shot the officers because he didn't want them to catch him with drugs. However, at his last hearing, he took full responsibility for Baylis's death, stating that he was focused on escaping from police and carrying a gun.
The parole board denied Gayle's release and deportation in 2021, citing concerns that he had not developed a clear understanding of the pressures and stresses related to his transition to Jamaica. However, prison staff have recommended him for day parole, and Gayle is now seeking to return to Jamaica to serve out the rest of his life sentence.
Gayle's request has been met with opposition from the family of Const. Baylis, who consider it an "ultimate insult" that he would seek to return to Jamaica after taking the life of a young officer. The family has expressed outrage at the prospect of Gayle being deported, which they see as a way for him to escape accountability for his actions.
The outcome of Gayle's hearing remains uncertain, and it is unclear whether he has come up with a more convincing plan to satisfy the Parole Board of Canada.
