Edmonton man who murdered pregnant wife granted day parole for half a year

An Edmonton man who was convicted 15 years ago of murdering his pregnant wife has been granted day parole for six months, CP24 reports.

Michael White was granted the day parole under a number of restrictions set by the Parole Board, including that he must stay at a halfway house, undergo counselling, attend programs related to domestic abuse, and report any new relationships or friendships he forms with women.

He is allowed to see his current girlfriend under supervision, but is not allowed to be alone with her.

The Parole Board said that White requires a "slow, gradual reintegration" into society at large.

White expressed gratitude for his limited parole. "These are the people in my life that matter most, who I would love to be back with," White said in reference to his family and girlfriend.

"It's family with me... to be a dad to my daughter, physically be there, for graduation, for the good times and bad times, instead of just on the phone," White said.

He has further said that he will abide by any restrictions set by the Parole Board to ensure his ability to interact with his loved ones.

Meanwhile Maureen Kelly, the mother of White's former wife, said that White, who has never admitted his guilt in the murder, "does not have remorse for what he has done" and has "never taken responsibility."

"I lost everything in my life," said Kelly. "What has happened has been heartbreaking."

While still maintaining his innocence, White has admitted that he could sometimes display verbally aggressive behaviour due to a lack of ability to cope with stress. He claims that he has learned how to better cope with stress while in prison.

White's wife, Liana White, was found in a ditch with stabbing wounds in July of 2005 while carrying the couple's second child. White was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole the next year for second degree murder. He unsuccessfully attempted to appeal his conviction.

White is currently being held at the Beaver Creek Institution, a minimum-security prison in Gravenhurst, Ontario.