Nearly 26 years have passed since Sean Simmons was fatally shot in a Dartmouth apartment building, and some of the individuals involved in his murder are still navigating the legal system.
Recently, the Parole Board of Canada approved an extension of Neil William Smith’s day parole for an additional six months. Smith, along with Dean Daniel Kelsie and Wayne Alexander James, received life sentences for their roles in Simmons’s death in October 2000. Testimony during the trials indicated that Simmons was targeted for murder on the orders of a Hells Angel who believed Simmons was involved with his girlfriend.
Smith, aged 68, was apprehended in April 2001, found guilty of conspiracy and first-degree murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2003. During a previous parole hearing, Smith mentioned that Simmons had allegedly stolen from him three times. The parole board’s recent decision highlighted that allowing Simmons to escape would have portrayed Smith as weak and encouraged similar actions by others. It emphasized that Smith’s actions were primarily driven by ego and greed.
Describing Smith’s ties to the Hells Angels as “persistent and serious” with continuous involvement from 1987 to 2003, the board listed various criminal charges against him. Smith was granted day parole in August of the prior year after successful temporary absences.
While Smith expressed a desire to secure part-time employment for routine purposes, the board noted that his current receipt of federal pensions made work optional. Both Kelsie and James are also on day parole, while a fourth individual, Steven Gareau, had his murder convictions related to Simmons’s death stayed in 2024.
The parole board acknowledged the sentiments expressed by Simmons’s family, who feel as though they are serving a life sentence and doubt Smith’s rehabilitation and eligibility for parole.