Kitchener man serving life sentence for crossbow death of Michael Gibbon has died in prison
Eric Amaral was also serving time for assault causing bodily harm and pointing a firearm
The man who was serving a life sentence for killing Michael Gibbon with a crossbow in Kitchener, Ont., in 2015 died at the Warkworth Institution on Monday.
The circumstances surrounding Eric Amaral's death were not released and Correctional Services Canada says they are under review. The correctional service said in a release that their policy requires police and the coroner be notified.
Amaral's family have also been notified.
In April 2017, Amaral pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Gibbon. Correctional Services Canada said Amaral was also serving time for assault causing bodily harm and pointing a firearm.
In 2015, Amaral was carrying a crossbow in a wooded area in Kitchener's Mount Hope-Breithaupt Park when he saw Gibbon out for his morning walk. During his trial, the court heard Amaral got down on one knee, took aim and shot Gibbon in "a random and unprovoked killing."
Amaral knew he had hit Gibbon, but did not try to help him.
When Amaral was pulled over by police, he fired a BB gun at one of the officers.
Justice Gerald Taylor called the attack just before dawn "shocking" and said Amaral lacked "any reason for the taking of a human life."
Amaral was sentenced to life in prison with the chance of parole in 14 years. He was also sentenced to another two years, to be served concurrently, for the shooting of the police officer.