Inmate linked to 1988 killing of Halifax woman dies in N.B. prison

A 70-year-old inmate serving a life sentence for the death of a 25-year-old woman in 1988 has died while in custody at Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick, according to Correctional Service Canada.

In a news release issued Wednesday, CSC said Melvin Glen Stanton died on Tuesday while incarcerated at the federal institution.

Stanton had been serving a life sentence since March 16, 1971.

According to a CSC document, Stanton escaped from a community corrections centre in Toronto in 1988 and went on to kill 25-year-old Tema Conter, who was born and raised in Halifax.

The Tema Foundation, established in Conter’s memory, says she was murdered on Jan. 27, 1988, while on her way to work.

The offender, who had been placed in a halfway house in midtown Toronto, entered her apartment building and attacked her, according to the foundation’s website.

The organization said Conter was known for her humour, warmth and strong connections with those around her, and that her death had a lasting impact on her family, friends and front-line workers who responded to the incident.

In a statement, the Tema Foundation said it remains committed to honouring Conter’s legacy.

“By advancing this work, we honour Tema’s legacy in a way that is both purposeful and transformative … ensuring that her memory lives on through positive change and continued care for others,” said Cheryl Matthews, CEO of the Tema Foundation.

CSC said the inmate’s next of kin have been notified and the coroner has been informed, as required in all deaths in custody.