Yet another convicted murderer has gone missing from a minimum-security prison in B.C.

On Wednesday morning Ralph Whitfield Morris, 73, became the second prisoner in the past two weeks with a history of escaping from custody to be placed in a minimum-security jail and to simply walk away.

"Staff discovered [Morris] missing during the early morning hours," said Dave Lefebvre, a spokesman for Corrections Canada.

At about 2:45 a.m., the prison officials at the prison, called the Kwikwexwelhp Healing Village near Agassiz, called the RCMP and warned that Morris had left.

Police are using "all available resources" to search for Morris but haven't found anything yet, said Cst. Lea-Anne Dunlop in a release.

"Morris does not have any clear ties to B.C. and may be traveling east either by train, car or bus," said Dunlop.

Agassiz RCMP have issued a Canada-wide warrant for Morris's arrest, and are asking anyone who has seen him not to approach him and to instead call the police.

It was a similar story less than two weeks ago, when Blane MacDougal, a 60-year-old convicted rapist and killer, walked away from Ferndale Institution near Mission. He has yet to be found.

Morris has a lengthy criminal record with convictions including:

  • Second-degree murder in 1982
  • Armed robbery in 1975
  • Escaping from custody in 1988, 1990, and 1993

Prison officials defended the decision to put Morris in minimum security.

"Every offender that presents a low risk to public safety is allowed in a minimum-security institution," said Lefebvre.

But in 2005, the parole board wrote a report on Morris, saying, "You have been shot by police... you are still considered a high risk to escape."

Even then, the Parole Board granted him parole and later revoked it when he failed to return to a community residential facility.

Gertie Pool of the Abbotsford Victims' Rights Movement said she's appalled yet another murderer has escaped.

"The community as a whole are extremely disgusted and discouraged," she said. "We feel cheated."

Morris is 5'7" tall and weighs approximately 150 pounds, police said. He has a shaved head with grey hair, green eyes, and is Caucasian with a fair complexion.

Morris may be wearing blue jeans with a plaid print shirt and a bomber-style jacket, police said.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Michele Brunoro