Killer walks away from Coquitlam hospital

A manhunt is under way in Coquitlam, B.C., for a paranoid schizophrenic killer who failed to return to a psychiatric hospital after he was let out on a day pass.

Terrance Scott Giesbrecht, 46, was ruled criminally insane after he killed two men in Fort St. John, B.C., in 2004. He was found not criminally responsible and was sent to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital for treatment.

Giesbrecht was let out of the hospital, located just north of the Port Mann Bridge east of Vancouver, on Tuesday at 9 a.m. PT and did not return by his 10 p.m. curfew.

The RCMP issued a public warning after Giesbrecht failed to return by the following night, saying he has the potential for violent behaviour and anyone who sees him should call 911 and not approach or confront him.

Giesbrecht was last seen wearing blue jeans, a jean jacket, a black and green shirt, and black shoes. He is described as Caucasian, with dark brown hair and brown eyes, six-foot-two and weighing 265 pounds.

The Forensic Psychiatric Hospital is a 190-bed designated mental health facility under the Mental Health Act that serves individuals referred by the courts for treatment and assessment.

It also provides "treatment and support for those individuals who are deemed to require a secure inpatient facility due to their risk of harm to self and/or others," according to its website.