Police looking for inmate missing from Vancouver Island minimum security prison

Mounties say they’ve begun extensive patrols around the prison, while the institution’s staff look for Ernest Jensen on the grounds of William Head. (Handout)

Police on Vancouver Island say they’re on the hunt for an inmate who escaped from the minimum security William Head Institution.

RCMP say they got a call just before 1 p.m. on Sunday after Ernest Jensen couldn’t be found during a daily head count.

Police say Jensen is now wanted for being unlawfully at large, and he’s described as a bald, Caucasian male with a heavy build, and the Correctional Service of Canada says he’s missing three fingers on his left hand.

Mounties say they’ve begun extensive patrols around the prison, while the institution’s staff look for him on the grounds of William Head.

The Correctional Service of Canada says Jensen was convicted of second-degree murder and has been serving a life sentence since March 1991.

Police say Jensen is considered dangerous and anyone who sees him should call 911.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2026.