Parole board revokes release for man who killed Manitoba women

WINNIPEG – A man who killed two women is back in prison within a year of his release, after the Parole Board of Canada says he was suspected of drug trafficking and interacting with vulnerable populations.

Shawn Lamb pleaded guilty to manslaughter for the 2012 deaths of the Indigenous women, Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith, and was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Last November, he was granted statutory release, a provision under federal law that sees most inmates automatically freed after serving two-thirds of a sentence.

A recent parole board decision says Lamb breached a number of release conditions and that his risk to the community is no longer considered “manageable.”

“The board revokes your statutory release as it has determined risk is undue. Your actions are not beyond your control, yet you continue to wilfully make poor decisions that place the public at risk,” it says. 

Court heard Lamb killed the women at different times.

He told police that he hit 25-year-old Sinclair over the head with an axe handle then strangled her. He also strangled Blacksmith, 18. He wrapped both bodies in plastic and dumped them in back alleys.

Lamb was initially arrested in the death of a third woman, Tanya Nepinak, but the Crown stayed the charge due to a lack of evidence. Lamb has denied any involvement in her death.

Lamb was ordered to live at a halfway house and refrain from using drugs and alcohol. He was also required to report any relationships. 

The board says that during the first few months of his release, Lamb used his time productively by volunteering and attending health appointments and church.

It says that in mid-March, his behaviour began to deteriorate after he was ordered to continue living at a halfway house. Lamb had requested to be moved to a facility closer to family supports. 

Lamb also wanted to volunteer at a hospital.

“When you found out that you were not eligible to volunteer, you began ‘volunteering’ on your own, pushing people around the hospital in their wheelchairs,” the board says.

“You were directed to cease ‘volunteering’ immediately and to report any relationships you had made within the hospital.”

In May, police saw Lamb “talking with numerous people, hugging a female and exchanging items.”

Police later saw him hand small plastic bags containing a white substance to unknown people, who gave him cash in return, the board says.  

A search of his room found a cellphone with messages from a woman, an empty “dime bag,” Tylenol 3 pills, condoms, a motel receipt, multiple receipts for a storage unit and an envelope with pictures of nude women. 

Lamb denied selling drugs. He told the board he handed out cigarettes, money and gift cards to the homeless population downtown. 

He said the nude photos were sent to him and that he printed them off.

The board says Lamb acknowledged he “did some things wrong” but claimed nothing was illegal and he didn’t hurt anyone. 

“You are consciously creating a power imbalance, in your favour, over vulnerable populations. This has the potential of being leveraged to your benefit,” the decision says. 

“The board believes you are fully aware of this, and as your past offending involves spontaneous and extreme violence, diligence is warranted.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 1, 2026.