Dean Wiwchar, a convicted hitman with ties to the notorious Wolfpack gang, now faces new charges for allegedly attempting to escape from a Surrey pretrial jail. This latest incident occurred just weeks after he publicly vowed to turn his life around in court, a promise that now rings hollow.
Authorities observed Wiwchar, 40, acting suspiciously in an outdoor exercise area on December 7th. He wasn’t alone; Harry Christensen, 34, has also been charged with attempting to break out of prison and escape lawful custody. Correctional officers intervened as the escape attempt unfolded within the jail’s secure perimeter.
This isn’t Wiwchar’s first attempt. In July 2022, he tried to flee the same Surrey pretrial facility, a mere days after his accomplice, Rabih Alkhalil, successfully escaped from North Fraser pretrial during his murder trial. Wiwchar received a two-year sentence for that earlier attempt.
Alkhalil’s escape was audacious – he walked out disguised as a construction worker. Three individuals are now facing charges for allegedly aiding his flight, with one recently extradited from Spain. Alkhalil was ultimately convicted in absentia of first-degree murder and conspiracy to kill, and is awaiting extradition from Qatar.
Wiwchar’s criminal history is deeply intertwined with Alkhalil’s. Both men were convicted of first-degree murder in the 2012 slaying of John Raposo in Toronto. Wiwchar pleaded guilty in British Columbia to conspiracy in the murders of Sandip Duhre and Sukhveer Dhak, admitting to shooting Duhre ten times in the lobby of the Sheraton Wall Centre in 2012.
During his sentencing hearing last December, Wiwchar expressed remorse and claimed a desire for rehabilitation. Justice Kathleen Ker acknowledged his apparent sincerity, challenging him to prove his commitment to change. This recent escape attempt casts serious doubt on the authenticity of that remorse.
Christensen, the other individual charged in the latest incident, is serving a life sentence for the 2018 second-degree murder of Kyle Cromarty in Chilliwack. He will be eligible for parole after more than thirteen years.
Despite his admissions in the B.C. case, Wiwchar continues to appeal his murder conviction in Ontario, further complicating a complex and dangerous criminal saga. The question now is whether his repeated attempts to evade justice will finally extinguish any remaining hope for his rehabilitation.
