Parole board sends convicted killer back to prison more than 15 years after release

A convicted murderer is back behind bars following more than 15 years on full parole, after he was accused of manipulating a vulnerable senior, secretly adopting a child and stockpiling police gear.

Henry Jacob Bruce, 53, received a life sentence in 2000 after admitting to beating 77-year-old Robert Kessler to death on a rural road near Birds Hill Provincial Park. He was released on parole in 2010, but the Parole Board of Canada officially revoked that privilege during a hearing Monday.

The daughter of an elderly Winnipeg woman has secured a protection order against Bruce — accusing him of fraudulently accessing her mother’s bank account.

“It is concerning that the index offence involved you murdering a 77-year-old male victim and that some 25 years later it is alleged you were taking advantage of an elderly vulnerable senior,” the board said in a written decision.

“It appears for years you have been living a separate life, one that parole is not privy to.”

According to the decision, Bruce received approval to move in with the senior in 2023. He identified her as the mother of his ex-girlfriend, and told the parole board he helped her with bathing, grocery shopping and paying bills.

The pair lived together until December 2025, when the woman’s daughter contacted Bruce’s parole officer with accusations that he had taken money from her mother’s account and was sneaking women into the home for sex.

The daughter also reported finding a large amount of police gear, including a Winnipeg Police Service toque, a vest with police markings, several pieces of radio equipment and a duty belt.

The board noted that Bruce purchased a decommissioned police cruiser in 2022, which still bore a badge identifying it as a “police interceptor.”

According to the documents, Bruce was thought to be successfully complying with his parole conditions during most of his time on release. While he initially struggled after leaving custody, he soon became involved with a church, found employment at a bingo hall and later at a Royal Canadian Legion branch.

His behaviour “began to get off track” around 2020, when he started getting into trouble at work. It was later discovered he had not been disclosing his parole status to his employers and other people in his life, the decision noted.

Around that time, police reported concerns about Bruce approaching officers while wearing a body camera and questioning them about their jobs. He did the same with other authority figures and a city transit driver, often posting the videos on social media, the documents said.

The parole board noted that his collection of police gear — while not illegal — was “concerning.”

“There was no indication that you were impersonating a police officer, however, there was risk for this to take place due to the amount of paraphernalia that you had.”

The daughter, who was then acting as the senior’s power of attorney, told Bruce’s parole officer she was working with a lawyer and was pursuing a protection order barring him from contacting her mother.

That order was granted in January, but by then, Bruce was already back in custody.

Police arrested him Dec. 23, after he met with his parole officer and was unable to explain the allegations.

During the meeting, the parole officer noticed the screen saver on his phone was a picture of a four- or five-year-old girl. Bruce initially claimed the child belonged to his friend, but later admitted to the parole board that he had “adopted” her.

Bruce’s parole conditions require him to disclose his relationships to the Correctional Service of Canada. His sentence means he must comply with the requirement for the rest of his life.

Further details about his relationship with the child were not included in the decision.

It was not immediately clear whether any new charges had been added to Bruce’s record as of Wednesday.

During the hearing, Bruce told the parole board he “got too comfortable” on release, resulting in a lack of transparency with the people in his life and the case-management team.

He also touched on Kessler’s murder, explaining that he was filled with “anger and hate” at the time of the offence, owing to a traumatic childhood.

According to parole board documents, Kessler suffered significant injuries to his head and face and was dumped by the side of the road. His body was discovered months later, on Oct. 14, 1998.

Bruce was charged the following year, after a police sting operation in which he admitted to the killing while speaking with an undercover officer. Bruce told investigators he was intoxicated and flew into a violent rage after Kessler allegedly made sexual advances toward him.

Under the Criminal Code, violent offenders who lose their chance at parole cannot reapply for release for at least one year. The parole board must conduct another review within four years after the date on which the release was terminated.

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca