On April 29, 2009, James Urbaniak murdered Jessica Martel as she tried to leave their abusive relationship.
He was granted a life sentence for second-degree murder, without parole for 10 years. In 2019, he was granted day parole, where he hid a romantic relationship with a staff member who worked at the halfway house where he was staying, causing his parole to be revoked. He was granted day parole again in 2022, and full parole in July 2025.
“Our family was devastated by the news of James being paroled. We do not believe he served enough time. Jessica was 27 when she was brutally killed, in front of her three children, by James. James has destroyed so many lives, especially the lives of their children. They will live with a lifelong battle of severe PTSD and mental illness. While James received free medical and mental health resources, his children’s caregivers (myself and my husband) have carried the burden of paying for all their care. They are young adults but will require supportive care. They are not capable of living on their own.
James gets to continue with his life as nothing happened, while we are still dealing with the aftermath.
Lynne Rosychuk, Founder and Jessica’s Mother
It’s a shame that our laws in Canada are so lenient on abusers, especially the ones who kill their partner. It’s concerning to me that the parole board was concerned about his release but released him anyway.
Most abusers will never spend time in jail, even when there has been numerous calls and arrests. There should be tougher penalties and prison time for abusers. Abusers who kill their partner or family member should have automatic life sentence with no parole. Abusers convicted of abuse should serve time for first offence.
The court systems are failing victims, putting the onus on the victims to keep themselves safe. After numerous attempts of being let down, victims often don’t trust the systems that were supposed to protect them. They are reluctant to report abuse or go through the court systems.
There needs to be a more trauma informed approach when dealing with all types of violence. All systems need to work together and develops a better system in keeping our families safe. It is important for us all to ensure these families are safe. We must all do our part to advocate for change.”
– Lynne Rosychuk, Founder and Jessica’s mother
Friday, February 21, 2025, we received the news that James is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant for breeching his parole, and that he is considered dangerous. While we don’t know the details of what led to this update, we hope that this matter is resolved quickly and safely.
