Just one day after a British Columbia judge expressed hope for his rehabilitation, Dean Wiwchar, a convicted hitman linked to the notorious Wolfpack gang, allegedly made a desperate bid for freedom. The attempt unfolded at Surrey Pretrial jail, raising serious questions about security and the sincerity of his expressed remorse.
Wiwchar, 40, recently received a 20-year sentence for his involvement in two murder conspiracies and for the brutal killing of Sandip Duhre. The execution took place in the bustling lobby of Vancouver’s Sheraton Wall Centre in January 2012, a brazen act of violence that shocked the city.
During his sentencing, Wiwchar claimed a desire for change, asserting that some good remained within him. Justice Kathleen Kerr acknowledged his remorse, challenging him to prove his commitment to a new life. She offered a glimmer of hope, a chance to demonstrate the genuineness of his transformation.
That hope was quickly overshadowed by Saturday’s incident. Correctional officers discovered Wiwchar in the jail yard, armed with a makeshift rope and attempting to exploit a hole in the roof. The plan, according to sources, was a direct attempt to scale the walls and escape custody.
Surrey Police Service responded to the jail’s call for assistance around 1:30 p.m., confirming they were investigating a potential escape attempt. While details remain scarce, authorities confirmed their involvement in assisting corrections officials with the unfolding situation.
The 2012 murder of Duhre was a calculated act, Wiwchar firing ten shots into the gangster’s head in a crowded restaurant. He also actively pursued the assassination of Sukhveer Dhak, though Dhak was ultimately killed months later in Burnaby.
Wiwchar’s criminal history extends beyond B.C. He was previously convicted of first-degree murder in connection with the 2012 hit on John Raposo in Toronto, a conviction he is currently appealing. The roots of these conflicts lie in a bloody gang war, fueled by revenge for the 2011 Kelowna shooting that claimed the life of Jonathan Bacon and injured others.
This isn’t Wiwchar’s first attempt to break free. In July 2022, just days after another high-profile escape, Wiwchar and an accomplice were caught attempting to flee Surrey Pretrial. They had used a smuggled tool to cut through their cell, coming dangerously close to reaching the ground.
That earlier escape attempt resulted in a two-year sentence, served concurrently with his life sentence for the Raposo murder. The latest incident echoes a disturbing pattern, raising concerns about the security vulnerabilities within the correctional system and the lengths to which desperate criminals will go to regain their freedom.
The escape of Rabih Alkhalil, another key figure in the Duhre murder plot, in July 2022, further highlights these vulnerabilities. Alkhalil remained on the run for three years before being apprehended in Qatar, and several individuals have been charged with aiding his escape. The events paint a picture of a system repeatedly tested, and sometimes breached, by those determined to evade justice.
