A convicted murderer who escaped prison is now accused of robbing six banks, four in Langley and two in Surrey while being on the lam.
Shawn Merrick, 43, went missing from the minimum security Mission prison on March 31.
Since his escape, he has been charged with six bank robberies, the most recent one at CIBC in Aldergrove on Monday, May 4.
Police say he robbed a pair of banks in Surrey on April 17 and then went to Langley where he is charged with robbing the Royal Bank at Willowbrook Mall and the TD Canada Trust in Walnut Grove.
Crown has also approved charges against Merrick for robbing the Royal Bank in Aldergrove on April 24.
A Canada-wide arrest warrant has been issued. In a rare move, the Canadian Bankers Association has also offered a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of Merrick.
Merrick was serving time for the “brutal” killing of Shelley Lynn DeVoe in the fall of 2006.
The body of DeVoe, a 44-year-old Whalley mother of two, was found on Burke Mountain in Coquitlam that year. Merrick has more than 50 convictions. He was sentenced to five years for robbing more than a dozen banks, including four in Langley, between 2006 and 2007.
Police say Merrick poses a serious threat to people’s safety. Do not approach him; call 911 if you see him.
Merrick is 5’8” tall, with brown hair and blue eyes. He has a tattoo of a skull on the left side of his chest and a dragon on his right upper arm. He also has a burn scar on his right forearm. He may have changed his appearance since his escape, said police.
Anyone with information who wants to remain anonymous can call Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.