Convicted murderer missing from Fraser Valley prison

Police used dogs and helicopters to search for an escaped convicted killer, the second inmate this month to walk away from a minimum security prison in the Fraser Valley.

Staff at the Kwikwexwelhp Healing Village near Agassiz discovered 73-year-old Ralph Whitfield Morris was missing early Wednesday morning.

He was serving a life sentence for second-degree murder, armed robbery, escaping custody and uttering threats.

The escape was the second incident in recent weeks in which a convicted murderer has walked away from a minimum security prison in the Fraser Valley.

On April 19, 60-year-old Blane MacDougal escaped from the Ferndale Institution in Mission, where he was serving a life sentence for a number of charges, including murder, indecent assault, sexual assault with a weapon and kidnapping.

Police were notified around 2:45 a.m. PT Wednesday that Morris had walked away from the Agassiz prison, said Dave Lefebrve, spokesperson for Correctional Service of Canada.

"All I can say is he was discovered missing during routine rounds that are performed by the security personnel," said Lefebrve.

Kwikwexwelhp is an aboriginal healing centre, and an inmate can escape by simply walking out of the facility, he said.

Morris does not have any clear ties to British Columbia and may be traveling east either by train, car or bus, said Const. Leanne Dunlop of the Chilliwack RCMP. A Canada-wide warrant has been issued for his arrest, and he is currently unlawfully at large.

Police described Morris as 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighing approximately 150 pounds. He has grey, closely cropped hair, green eyes and is Caucasian with a fair completion. He may be wearing blue jeans, a plaid print shirt and a bomber-style jacket.

Morris began serving a sentence for armed robbery in 1975. He is also serving a life sentence from 1982 for second-degree murder, escaping lawful custody and uttering threats, according to police.