Two inmates who escaped William Head minimum-security prison for two days almost a year ago have been charged in the killing of a Metchosin man.
James Lee Busch and Zachary Armitage have each been charged with one count of first-degree murder in the death of Martin Payne.
Both men remain imprisoned. They are in different institutions, not on Vancouver Island. Busch, then 42, and Armitage, 30, escaped from William Head Institute on July 7, 2019. The two men were recaptured the evening of July 9 in Esquimalt after being recognized by an off-duty RCMP officer out walking his dog.
Payne’s truck had been found that afternoon on Woodburn Avenue in Oak Bay. But it was only after Payne, 60, who was employed by the province at B.C. Mail Plus, didn’t show up for work that West Shore RCMP found his body July 12 in his Brookview Drive home, about eight kilometres from the prison. His obituary said he died July 8.
“Marty was deeply loved by his tight circle of friends and family and we have continued to mourn his senseless loss every day for the past 11 months,” his family said in a statement released Saturday.
Payne, who grew up in Greater Victoria, had two adult daughters.
“The man who was taken from us was an exceptionally gentle and caring human being whose love, support, and encouragement were unfailing,” his family said. “We are completely devastated and have been relying heavily on one another throughout this horrifying ordeal.”
The prison escape and news of a death raised questions about why Armitage and Busch, violent offenders with years left in their sentences, and, in Armitage’s case, a history of five escapes, were at the minimum-security prison and how communities are notified about escapes.
Busch is serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. Armitage was sentenced to 14 years in prison for aggravated assault and robbery, among other charges. He had been set for statutory release this year.
On Saturday, Anne Kelly, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, said the service takes “this situation very seriously, including the fact that the inmates charged had escaped from our custody prior to this tragic crime.”
An investigation was launched immediately following the escape, she said. Investigators looked at the circumstances of the escape, reviewed all inmates classified as minimum-security, and revised policies to strengthen the assessment process and decision-making involving minimum-security inmates.
The service has made changes so communities are promptly made aware of escapes, and William Head has added an extra prison count to its schedule and changed the time at which inmates must return to their housing units at the end of the day.
“This is a terrible tragedy and it is important that we garner lessons from the escapes and work to prevent them in the future,” Kelly said.
B.C. RCMP Supt. Sanjaya Wijayakoon said the 11-month investigation into Payne’s killing was led by the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit and involved several police agencies.
“Our condolences go out to Martin Payne’s family and friends,” said Insp. Todd Preston, officer in charge of the West Shore RCMP. “We know that this has been a very difficult time for the community and citizens of the West Shore and in particular, Metchosin. We want to thank the citizens for their patience in the investigative process.”
