Jesse Penner's killer is back behind bars — not long after his release from prison — on a raft of new charges that includes aggravated assault and assault with a weapon.
Ryan Ross Crossley was out on bail for several violent offences at the time he killed Penner outside a Port Coquitlam house party in February 2006, where the former Douglas College baseball player was trying to break up a fight. Crossley was just 16 at the time but had already racked up 10 convictions for crimes ranging from theft to armed robbery and assault.
"It's pretty shocking," said Jesse's father, Gord Penner, of Crossley's new charges. "We didn't even know he was here."
Crossley was due to be released from a Saskatchewan jail in December 2012 after completing his full six-year sentence for Jesse Penner's murder — he was denied an early release after serving two-thirds of the sentence because his risk to the community was deemed unmanageable — but remained in custody on two assaults he committed while in prison.
In early 2013, Crossley was sentenced to two one-year terms to be served consecutively for the assaults on a fellow inmate and on a corrections officer, with June 2014 his earliest possible release date.
At some point since his release, Crossley returned to the Lower Mainland, racking up a string of charges in Coquitlam, Richmond and New Westminster.
He faces six charges, including possession of stolen property under $5,000 and identity theft, following an arrest in Richmond on April 10; he was released the following day on his own recognizance.
Crossley was then charged with two counts of vehicle theft in New Westminster on April 14 and a third in Coquitlam on April 15, as well as possession of stolen property under $5,000 in New West on April 16.
On the same day, Crossley is also alleged to have committed aggravated assault and assault with a weapon in Surrey.
He remains in custody in connection with several of the charges.
Penner is upset Crossley was arrested twice in the Lower Mainland and nobody thought to notify his family.
"It's pretty pathetic. It really shows the respect victims of crime get," Penner said. "It's really frustrating and our family deserves answers. I want somebody to acknowledge that he shouldn't have been out on bail when he killed Jesse."
Penner said Crossley is mentally ill and should either be receiving treatment or remain "locked up so he doesn't hurt any more innocent people."
Crossley's next court appearances are in New Westminster and Surrey this week.
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