Matt Kaulback, the son of Jackie and brother of Julie, attended the latest hearing and shared his concern with the Mercury Tribune. He said he and his brother Mike tried hard for years to forgive Dakin. “We needed peace,” he wrote.

Ultimately, they couldn’t. Forgiveness would be “a total betrayal to our family. To us. It has been a struggle and I expect it always will be.”

At the recent hearing, he recalled Dakin saying “I can’t apologize to the family enough.”

Matt said these words will mean nothing until Dakin finds the courage to fully admit that he murdered Jackie and Julie.

“You did that. It was no accident. It was planned. It was intentional. It is evil. You did that. Then apologize. Just once. But mean it,” he wrote.

'The world would scream'

Lisa Kaulback, Julie’s sister, travelled from Nova Scotia to attend the hearing on behalf of her and Julie’s father, who attended one hearing but couldn’t bear to attend another.

She said every year Dakin is brought before the parole board and the family rehears details of the murder, shares their “carefully censored” victim impact statements, and is told they will be heard.

“Stop telling families it matters," she wrote, addressing the parole board.

“The plan is set already and you are there so (the board) can portray a fair justice system,” she wrote.

If this crime happened today, with social media the way it is, “Dakin would never see the light of day.” There would be such outrage, she wrote. “The world would scream.”

She encouraged families in a similar situation to talk to local media and avoid going through the process behind closed doors.

“Dakin isn’t sorry, and he won’t ever be forgiven in this lifetime by Julie’s family. He’s got a higher power to answer to now, only God can judge him, and He will most definitely not give him freedom in the next life. "

Shirley Newell, Jackie’s sister, said she wasn't surprised by the board's decision: “Just another flaw in the justice system," she said.

“Our family has no choice but to accept that no matter how horrific the death or evil the offender, the murderer is deemed by the justice system to have rights.”

After the incident Julie lived in agony for almost a month before dying in hospital and Jackie lived for nearly two months.

“Justice for Jackie and Julie should not include the murderer set free on full parole to masquerade as a law-abiding citizen.”

The board’s decision acknowledged the victims’ family members and their statements, and reminded Dakin: “You are serving a life sentence and you will be under supervision for the rest of your life.”

Dakin has secured a one-bedroom apartment and has indicated he would use his freedom to spend time with family, attend medical appointments and volunteer at a local woodcarving shop.