Kingston Police are searching for an inmate who was unaccounted for during a formal count at the minimum-security unit of Collins Bay Institution on Thursday.
Staff at the multi-level security federal institution discovered that 49-year-old Mason Jenkins was missing during the 11:15 a.m. count. Correctional Service Canada immediately contacted Kingston Police, and a warrant has been issued for Jenkins’s arrest.
Jenkins is described as a white man, five-foot-nine, weighing approximately 255 pounds, with a fair complexion, brown eyes and brown hair, currently shaved bald. He was last seen wearing a light green jacket, blue jeans and rubber boots.
Jenkins is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder and possession of a scheduled substance for the purpose of trafficking. According to Correctional Service Canada, Jenkins was convicted in the 1998 murder of his sister in Chatham.
The Chatham-Kent Police Service says it continues to monitor developments related to Jenkins’s escape. Given Jenkins’s connections to the Chatham-Kent area, CKPS has taken appropriate precautionary measures and is working closely with partner agencies in support of the investigation.
“The safety of our residents remains our top priority, and we are committed to taking all reasonable steps to support public safety while assisting our policing partners in their efforts to locate and apprehend the individual,” CKPS said in a statement.
CKPS said it will continue to provide timely updates as they become available, and is encouraging residents to remain vigilant.
Correctional Service Canada said it has provided police with all available information to assist in the search.
Anyone with information on Jenkins’s whereabouts is asked to contact Kingston Police at 613-549-4660, ext. 0, or Sgt. Paul Brophy of the Chatham-Kent Police Service’s Criminal Investigations Section at 519-436-6600, ext. 80619. Members of the public are asked not to approach Jenkins if seen, and to contact 911 immediately.
