Tyler Jack Newton was sentenced to seven years in prison for killing Caesar Rosales in 2014.

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A Kelowna man convicted of a random 2014 killing on a city bus is nearing the end of his sentence, though reports from the Parole Board of Canada indicate rehabilitation efforts have thus far fallen short.

Tyler Jack Newton, 28, is serving a sentence of four years and six months for the manslaughter death of Caesar Rosales. Newton, who was in the throes of drug psychosis, stabbed Rosales in the neck Oct. 30, 2014, as he took the bus home from work.

There was no provocation. Rosales, who worked at Kelowna Flightcraft, had never met Newton before his fatal commute home. Newton, however, had a long history of criminal behaviour and drug abuse.

The expiration of Newton's sentence is somewhere around the end of this year or the start of next.

Usually, someone convicted of a federal offence has had guided release from prison at the two-thirds point of their sentence. It's called statutory release, and with it offenders are reintegrated into communities with the expectation they follow the law and report to their Correctional Service Canada Parole Officer on a regular basis. They can be returned to prison if they are believed to present an undue risk to the public, which Newton has on multiple occasions, so his release was suspended more than once.

When reviewing earlier this month whether Newton would be ready for another shot at freedom, the parole board said it was too risky.

READ MORE: The killing of Caesar Rosales

"The Parole Board of Canada made the decision to revoke statutory release and impose conditions on the next statutory release," a parole board statement read.

Newton, they wrote in a report released this week, was in a drug-induced psychosis when he fatally stabbed Rosales in the neck but it wasn't the first time he ran afoul of the law and that attitude persists despite imprisonment.

"During your incarceration, you incurred institutional charges for being disrespectful to staff, noncompliance with institutional rules, and possessing unauthorized items," the parole board report reads. "You were connected to the drug subculture, were in possession of a homemade weapon, threatened staff, and had a fight with another inmate. You also misused your medication."

He did however complete correctional programming.

In March 2019, the board imposed special conditions on his statutory release: not to consume alcohol; not to consume drugs; follow treatment plan; avoid victims; respect curfew; and avoid certain persons.

He was then released on statutory release in June 2019 and eventually moved into a rooming house.

Within short order, he "began an intimate relationship and (was) told to take it slow."

Two days after his release, the parole board said his first urinalysis test returned positive for methamphetamine. His release was suspended and he was referred to the board.

"Your Case Management Team originally were going to recommend your suspension be cancelled with residency imposed; however, they changed their recommendation to revocation after learning of your problematic institutional behaviour during your suspension," the parole board wrote.

The board then revoked Newton's statutory release in September 2019, and imposed residency on his next statutory release. During time at a temporary detention unit he successfully completed another program, so he was released again in June 2020.

"Within two weeks, you were put on house arrest three times for failing to comply with sign-in/out restrictions," the parole board wrote to Newton. "You were informed your house arrest would be maintained for a urinalysis test result to be received. You repeatedly assured your Case management team that your urinalysis would return negative. On July 15, 2020, your urinalysis test returned positive for methamphetamine. Your release was suspended and you were arrested."

During the post-suspension interview, the parole board said Newton deflected blame for his suspension and initially denied using intoxicants.

"You later admitted using methamphetamine but externalized responsibility for your actions," the parole board told Newton.

He blamed the community residential facility starr and parole staff, and indicated they set him up. During his post-suspension interview, he told his Community Parole Officer he was not interested in treatment.

Newton will still be granted "leave privileges" into the community so he can build relationships and economic prospects.

"The Board notes you have been supervised in the community and have consistently failed to comply with conditions, including minimum supervision expectations," Newton was told. "You continue to engage in high risk and risk-relevant behaviour while supervised. You have a significant court history and have demonstrated a consistent disregard for the law. Because of this, you have proven unreliable and unpredictable when in the community."

In addition, the board said that given the nature and gravity of his initial offence, and willingness to use weapons, he is assessed as a high risk and high needs offender. That risk has not been mitigated despite having had the benefit of programming.

"Consequently, the board is satisfied that, in the absence of a residency condition, you will present an undue risk to society by committing a Schedule 1 offence before the expiration of your sentence," the parole board told Newton. "Accordingly, residency is imposed to the end of your sentence."

The parole board typically does not disclose where inmates are being held. It's also unclear where he will be released. 

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