A man with a chilling past – a history marked by brutal violence and sexual assault across both Canada and the United Kingdom – has been granted a conditional release into a Vancouver Island community. John Cody, formerly known as Peter John Peters, terrorized communities in 1990, leaving a trail of devastation in his wake.
The Parole Board of Canada acknowledges Cody, now 64, continues to pose a moderate to high risk of re-offending, a determination rooted in the immutable facts of his crimes. This decision arrives after a previous, shorter unescorted absence granted in early 2025, a test period he successfully navigated while participating in a reintegration program.
Cody’s path to this point has been one of calculated steps, marked by completion of numerous correctional programs, vocational training, and intensive counselling sessions. Over the years, he has participated in hundreds of escorted temporary absences, culminating in the earlier, independent foray into community life.
Currently, Cody is engaged in an extended work release program, a privilege earned after demonstrating a commitment to rehabilitation. He continues to attend regular counselling and actively participates in recovery meetings, addressing a history of substance abuse that intertwined with his violent behaviour.
Despite the gravity of his crimes, the board concluded that Cody’s release on day parole does not present an undue risk to public safety. This assessment hinges on a perceived shift in his behaviour and a demonstrated ability to manage the impulses that once fueled his horrific acts.
Strict conditions accompany his release. Cody is forbidden from consuming alcohol or drugs, associating with criminals, and must disclose all relationships with women to his parole supervisor. Access to technology is also heavily restricted, requiring prior written approval.
He is confined to his residential facility each night, with no leave privileges granted. Travel to Alberta or Ontario is prohibited without explicit permission, and any contact with his victims or their families is strictly forbidden – a recognition of the enduring pain he inflicted.
The board acknowledged the profound and lasting harm Cody caused, stating his offenses resulted in “devastating impacts” on numerous victims and their loved ones. During the hearing, harrowing victim impact statements were presented, with pleas for continued incarceration and even a call for the reinstatement of capital punishment.
Cody’s spree of violence began with the murder of 25-year-old Charlene Brittain in London, Ontario, on January 20, 1990. Within days, he escalated his attacks, fatally assaulting 63-year-old Albert Philips in Toronto and brutally kidnapping and attempting to kill Sandy Bellows-DeWolfe in St. Catharines.
While evading capture, Cody continued to threaten and terrorize others, stealing vehicles, robbing a bank, and brandishing a weapon. He was eventually apprehended in Sault Ste. Marie and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for seventeen years in August 1990.
His history includes a brief escape from a minimum-security facility in 2007, though he voluntarily surrendered the following day. The board’s assessment also delves into Cody’s troubled upbringing, marked by physical and psychological abuse, and the damaging influence of his father’s attitudes towards women.
Reports from his youth reveal a pattern of predatory behaviour, including sexual encounters with staff at a reform school and a self-reported history of hundreds of sexual partners, often involving abuse and exploitation. A psychiatric evaluation in 2006 diagnosed him with antisocial personality disorder.
However, the board emphasized Cody’s positive behaviour within the correctional system in recent years, noting over three decades of sobriety and a demonstrated ability to manage cravings and negative emotions. His accountability and engagement in his correctional plan were rated as high.
Cody himself revealed during the hearing that he legally changed his name in the late 1990s, a deliberate attempt to “reinvent” himself and distance himself from his past. The question remains whether this reinvention represents genuine transformation or a calculated strategy for release.
