Inmate Michiel Gordon Hollinger, 61, is in RCMP custody after a two hour search both in and outside the gates of William Head Institution in Metchosin.
The missing inmate was found within the facility grounds by an RCMP Police Dog Unit and West Shore RCMP around 12:30 p.m. RCMP and the correctional facility did not know then whether Hollinger had left the property and they had set up roadblocks near the prison just in case.
Police say it’s possible the inmate is the criminal better known as Mitchell “Micky” McArthur, a notorious bank robber who was incarcerated for the 1994 robbery of a bank in Port Perry, Ontario. In the robbery McArthur shot five people, including three police officers, but all three recovered. McArthur is also a serial prison escapee, having escaped from prisons in Ontario and Saskatchewan.
McArthur wrote a book on his life in 1990 titled I’d Rather Be Wanted Than Had: The Memoirs of an Unrepentant Bank Robber.
Because McArthur changed his name, prison officials are unable to confirm whether or not Hollinger is the same person, but West Shore RCMP say it’s possible. Numerous online sources cite McArthur as having changed his name to Michiel Hollinger.
Prison staff noticed Hollinger was missing after they called him over to an area of the prison, a normal procedure, and he never showed up. The prison was put into lockdown and the RCMP were called out to help with the search.
“It was one of things where everyone did what they were supposed to do and the result came out perfect,” said Rick Cawsey, spokesperson for the prison.
Cawsey said it’s unclear at this time whether or not Hollinger was attempting to escape and said he was being “elusive with staff.”
West Shore RCMP members were dispatched at about 10:30 a.m. to help staff at the prison to locate the missing inmate.
“They were attempting to locate him within the grounds, they were unable to do so and made us aware of the situation,” said Cpl. Kathy Rochlitz, spokesperson for the West Shore RCMP. “We responded in accordance to if there was a formalized, confirmed escapee.”
Police asked the public to be on the lookout, but described Hollinger as violent and advised people to stay away from him. Hollinger is in jail for violent crimes.
“He does have a lengthy criminal record, that’s why we took the steps that we did,” Rochlitz said.
Cawsey said this incident, as with the escape of two prisoners earlier this month, will be investigated closely.
“They’ll be looked at individually, they’ll be looked at together, to see whether or not there’s any consistent patterns here or anything we need to do,” Cawsey said. “The policies we have in place now work, as evidenced by today. We’re doing everything we can possibly do to maintain public safety.”
Hollinger will be moved to another facility and reviewed for possible higher security imprisonment, Cawsey said. At the time of writing it wasn’t yet known if charges would be laid.
For more information on the escape earlier this month click here.
