Man who beheaded fellow bus passenger wants to live on his own

[Dion]

Vincent Li also changes his name to Will Baker

WINNIPEG - A man who beheaded a fellow passenger on a Greyhound bus in Manitoba has changed his name and wants to leave his group home to live independently.

Vince Li appeared before a Criminal Code Review Board on Monday under the new name of Will Baker.

His medical team is now asking the review board to let Baker live on his own, albeit with several conditions that would include daily monitoring to ensure he continues to take his anti-psychotic medication.

The board heard from Baker's doctors on Monday that he has been a model patient and has always taken his medication.

Crown attorney Brian Sharpe said Baker would continue to be monitored "for the foreseeable future" and did not object to the request for independent living.

"There have been no issues. He's described in positive terms by the staff," Sharpe told the hearing.

"As far as I can tell, he's done everything that's been asked of him."

A decision by the board is expected by the end of the week.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/bre...369832141.html

[Dion]

Vincent Li Case demonstrates need for mental-health reform

Author Debra Parkes is an associate professor in the faculty of law at the University of Manitoba.

First, recidivism by people found NCR is very low. While it is never possible to reduce the risk to zero, we know violent acts committed by people who are in the community under the NCR system are extremely rare. The National Trajectory Project, which recently studied more than 1,800 NCR cases in Canada, found people whose NCR verdict involved a serious violent offence had a very low recidivism rate of less than one per cent for new violent offences.

Second, many people who are mentally ill are in the corrections system, where they generally get little treatment and are substantially more likely to reoffend on release than those found NCR. The Canadian Psychiatric Association says those with mental illness are five to six times more likely to reoffend when they have gone through the prison system than when they have been in the NCR system.

Third, these tragic, high-profile cases involving NCR accused generally involve people who tried to access mental health care in the community and who did not get the care they required. Numerous reports, including those by the national Mental Health Commission, show mental health services in the community are inadequate and putting resources there is the road to prevention of harm.

Responding to public fear fuelled by misinformation, the previous federal government passed legislation injecting a punitive element that has no principled place in the NCR process and limiting rights of review in a manner that may well violate the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The unfortunate thing about seeking further limits on when and how a person found NCR in a high-profile case might be released is it does nothing to prevent similar tragic deaths. The real need is with those who are not getting adequate treatment in the community before they have a serious episode such as the one experienced by Baker. In his and other high-profile cases, the warning signs were there and attempts to seek appropriate treatment in the community were unsuccessful.

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opi...369841731.html

[Mister Yamoto]

I wonder where he will be heading to.

[Teh_Bandwagoner]

Originally Posted by Mister Yamoto

I wonder where he will be heading to.

Damn you, you magnificent beast! I'm going to Hell for laughing at this.

[8sPOT]

Screw this. He should never ever be amongst the general population. Savagely be-heading a random person on a bus? Nope. You're done for life IMO.

[Locke]

It says he wants to live on his own.

"Hey Vinny, come on down to the Baffin Island Polar Bear Sanctuary and Mental Patient Halfway House!"

[Reaper]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

Screw this. He should never ever be among the general population. Savagely beheading a random person on a bus? Nope. You're done for life IMO.

Blah blah blah. We get it. You don't understand what Not Criminally Responsible means.

[Fuzz]

Not Vinny, Willie. He changed his name.
http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/02/23...wn-as-vince-li

[mrkajz44]

Torn on this.

On the one hand, he beheaded a random person and part of me feels like there should be lifetime consequences for that. On the other hand, I believe in rehabilitation as a function of the justice system, and it sounds like he might be ready to re-enter the general population, albeit under supervision.

Should we permanently punish a person for a certain action, even if they appear to be rehabilitated to be a productive member of society? I just don't have an answer for that.

[8sPOT]

Originally Posted by Reaper

Blah blah blah. We get it. You don't understand what Not Criminally Responsible means.

You're right. I dont understand how someone can viciously murder a random person and say the voices told them to do it. Then have essentially zero accountability for those actions. I don't dispute the fact that he's not criminally responsible, but that doesn't mean you get let off so easily.

There's got to be some accountability there. If I were in his shoes I would understand the publics desire to lock me away for the rest of my life. I really dont care at all about what he wants. How can he be trusted to make decisions for himself? He may be a victim in one sense, but he's still a murderer.

[Fuzz]

I've probably watched to many thrillers (and Simpsons Sideshow Bob episodes) but I just can't help wonder if he is playing the system and after he is free do it again.

[darklord700]

He changed his name to Baker. This is proof he isn't that insane after all.

[polak]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

There's got to be some accountability there.

Except that a team of doctors that are trained to identify mental illness and are entrusted with the responsibility to do so by our legal system has determined that he wasn't accountable for this and that it was a symptom of his mental illness. If he has been as responsive to treatment as it appears, then the appropriate thing would be to try and reintegrate him into society.

I get where you're coming from man. Last time this guy came up on here I was saying the EXACT same things as you and I still struggle to accept the fact that he's not being held responsible for such a horrible act. The thing is the last time this came up I got into a heated debate with everyone on here and when I really started to think about it, I started to realize I was probably wrong in thinking that this guy needs to be locked away for good. It basically comes down to understanding that he was sick and needed to get better and now that he has started to actually get better it was time to try and get him back into society.

That said, I think he should always be strictly monitored to make sure that he is sticking to his treatment. That is the most important thing in my opinion.

[8sPOT]

I do understand that there's an illness involved. I suppose I'm just thinking from the victims' friends and family point of view. The possibility that you could run into this person while grocery shopping is a terrifying thought. I also believe that he likely is reminded daily that he brutally murdered a man he never even knew, and that is probably a form of torture for him as well.

Guess it comes down to empathizing with the victim and his family. Trying to picture what that bus scene must have been like, every single person on that bus, including the person we are discussing, would be big-time traumatized and seeing this news would bring all that back up.

I have a hard time sympathizing with the guy though, and what he wants. Which I know comes across as shallow and disparaging.

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I've probably watched to many thrillers (and Simpsons Sideshow Bob episodes) but I just can't help wonder if he is playing the system and after he is free do it again.

Please tell me you're joking with this post? Like he was faking during years of diagnosis in psychiatric care? Do you understand what you're suggesting?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by 8sPOT

I do understand that there's an illness involved. I suppose I'm just thinking from the victims' friends and family point of view. The possibility that you could run into this person while grocery shopping is a terrifying thought. I also believe that he likely is reminded daily that he brutally murdered a man he never even knew, and that is probably a form of torture for him as well.

Guess it comes down to empathizing with the victim and his family. Trying to picture what that bus scene must have been like, every single person on that bus, including the person we are discussing, would be big-time traumatized and seeing this news would bring all that back up.

I have a hard time sympathizing with the guy though, and what he wants. Which I know comes across as shallow and disparaging.

All of this is great, but the law can't look at it from a sympathetic view for the victims. He was deemed not criminally responsible and has the right to live a life now. It would be a horrible country to live in if the powers that be could say "Yeah, this just doesn't feel right considering what happened, so we'll keep him locked up so everyone feels better".

[frodo_t_baggins]

Let's say you are an undiagnosed epileptic driving around town and you suddenly have your first seizure and kill someone with your car. A tragic event, but does it mean you should be locked away for good. The beheading was a symptom of his condition, and if this is deemed to be controlled and people are monitoring him, why shouldn't he be allowed to try and reenter society?

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by polak

Except that a team of doctors that are trained to identify mental illness and are entrusted with the responsibility to do so by our legal system has determined that he wasn't accountable for this and that it was a symptom of his mental illness. If he has been as responsive to treatment as it appears, then the appropriate thing would be to try and reintegrate him into society.

I get where you're coming from man. Last time this guy came up on here I was saying the EXACT same things as you and I still struggle to accept the fact that he's not being held responsible for such a horrible act. The thing is the last time this came up I got into a heated debate with everyone on here and when I really started to think about it, I started to realize I was probably wrong in thinking that this guy needs to be locked away for good. It basically comes down to understanding that he was sick and needed to get better and now that he has started to actually get better it was time to try and get him back into society.

That said, I think he should always be strictly monitored to make sure that he is sticking to his treatment. That is the most important thing in my opinion.

That's excellent to hear, Polak. Honestly. When it comes to mental illness I blab more then anyone to try to change people's views on the subject, but I always figure I'm just pissing off anyone on the other side of the debate, haha.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by jayswin

Please tell me you're joking with this post? Like he was faking during years of diagnosis in psychiatric care? Do you understand what you're suggesting?

No, I know, I don't actually believe it. Like I said, I watch to many thrillers. I shouldn't have used the words "can't help but wonder", replace that with "Hollywood has led me to believe"

[Cyclops]

Criminals that commit worse crimes are let out every day in Canada and no one bats an eye. At least this guy seems to be doing everything that is asked of him.

Any sexual predators that are most likely going to commit another crime released in your area today? Those are the people that should be kept behind bars.