Mary May

- 2013

• Name	Mary May
  Gender	Female
  Misfortune	18 Sep 2013
  	murdered
  Eby ID Number	Waterloo-306271
  Died	18 Sep 2013
  Person ID	I306271	Generations
  Last Modified	19 Dec 2024

  
  

• Notes

  Kitchener man who killed four people in 28-year span getting out of prison again He killed two teen girls and a police officer in a car crash in 1985 and choked a woman to death in 2013 Kevin Koehler had been behind bars on a 12-year sentence for manslaughter in the 2013 choking death of his roommate, Mary May, in an apartment on Margaret Avenue. Now he's being set free on "statutory release." Back in 1985, Koehler killed two teenage girls and a police officer in a fiery crash and got a three-year prison sentence. Over the years, he has racked up 38 convictions. "You have a well-established pattern of violence and high-risk behaviour, lack insight into your criminal behaviour, minimize your substance abuse issues and have a poor history on past periods of conditional release," the Parole Board of Canada said in a report. "Last fall you wrote a letter containing a veiled threat and this suggests your potential for violence continues to be high." But Koehler, now 57, will be released from prison on Saturday. Federal offenders must be let out after serving two-thirds of their sentence. The parole board last week ordered Koehler to follow several release conditions, including living in a halfway house. "Offenders must report to their Correctional Service Canada parole officer on a regular basis and can be returned to prison if they are believed to present an undue risk to the public," the parole board said. In 2015 Koehler was sentenced to a dozen years in prison for killing May, but after deducting pretrial custody, his sentence was 10 years and seven months. A long-standing dispute with May, 55, ended with her death on the night of Sept. 18, 2013. Koehler broke down her bedroom door, apparently beat her and choked her. "F***, I can't believe it," he told somebody in a neighbouring apartment. "I f***ing killed her." May, described in court at "vulnerable," lived with Koehler out of financial necessity while on disability benefits and working as a cleaner. Koehler wrapped her dead body in a tent tarp, put it in a bike trailer and cycled in the middle of the night to the Bridgeport area of Kitchener. He dumped the body on a grassy area beside the Grand River. It was found the next day by a man walking his dog. Koehler was charged with second-degree murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter because there was no intent to kill. "I was just going in to scare her," Koehler told a judge in Kitchener court. In 1986, when he was 21, Koehler was sent to prison for three years and handed a lifetime driving ban after pleading guilty to criminal negligence causing death. On Aug. 3, 1985, he had been drinking before getting behind the wheel to drive two girls - Helen Wattam, 17, a mother of two and bride-to-be, and Christine Lindsay, 16, her maid of honour - home from a wedding rehearsal. After police clocked him speeding near Walkerton. Koehler led officers on a chase at speeds of up to 160 km/h before slamming into an Ontario Provincial Police cruiser, killing both girls and Const. Craig Campbell, 24, who had completed his probationary period just three weeks earlier. Four other people were injured, including a second officer and Koehler, who was taken to hospital with severe internal injuries. His blood-alcohol level was just above the legal limit, but it wasn't considered a major factor in the crash. Koehler's criminal record dates back to 1983 and includes convictions for assaulting police, assault with a weapon and producing illegal drugs. "You have slapped, punched, choked and head-butted victims," the parole board said. "On one occasion, you used a knife to stab a victim in the hand. You have also threatened to cause harm or death to victims. You have committed offences against intimate partners, peace officers, your daughter (a toddler), and others." An assessment found Koehler poses "a high risk for future violence in the context of spousal violence," the parole board said. "Areas of concern were noted to be long-standing substance abuse issues, difficulties managing emotions, problematic intimate relationships, impulsivity, negative associates and lifestyle instability." While on statutory release, Koehler must abide by several conditions, including living in a halfway house approved by Correctional Service Canada, obeying a curfew, abstaining from drugs and alcohol, following a treatment plan arranged by the parole supervisor and reporting all relationships with females. The board did not say in which city he will live. With files from Brian Caldwell Gordon Paul is a Waterloo Region-based reporter focusing on crime for The Record. Reach him via email: gpaul@therecord.com "Kitchener Man Who Killed Four People In 28-Year Span Getting Out Of Prison Again". 2022. Therecord.Com. https://www.therecord.com/news/waterloo-region/2022/03/30/kitchener-man-who-killed-four-people-in-28-year-span-getting-out-of-prison-again.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=rec_web_ymbii.