Kentner family demands probe into parole decision for woman's killer

The family of Barbara Kentner and various First Nations leaders are demanding an investigation into the Parole Board of Canada after the board granted full parole to the man convicted of her death.

In 2017, Brayden Bushby threw a trailer hitch at Kentner, a 34-year-old First Nations woman, while she was walking in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Kentner died six months later from her injuries. Bushby, who was 18 at the time of the attack, was convicted of manslaughter in 2021 and sentenced to eight years in prison.

Connie Kentner, the victim's sister, and leaders from the Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Grand Council Treaty #3 have called for an explanation as to why the family was not consulted or informed about the decision. The family expressed feeling failed by a justice system that they say should recognize and respect victims of crime. Supporters noted that Kentner's death is part of a broader, tragic pattern involving murdered and missing Indigenous women.