Police are hunting for a convicted murderer who escaped from Mission Institution Sunday.
Norman Gilbert Riel was confirmed missing from the federal penitentiary Sunday. He was spotted entering a waiting white Suburban as he fled, but no licence plate was obtained.
Riel, 41, was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder. He had been convicted of the 1994 killing of Patrick Pugh in his Vancouver penthouse. A 2000 appeal was denied.
During his trial, the court heard that Riel had admitted shooting Pugh in the back of the head to an undercover Las Vegas detective posing as a drug dealer.
Riel is described as Métis, five-foot-eight, 210 pounds, with long brown hair that may be tied in a bun, and blue eyes.
Anyone who spots Riel is asked to call 9-1-1 immediately. Anyone with other information about Riel’s whereabouts can contact Mission RCMP at 604-826-7161, or can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
