Samatha Walsh's killer recommended for full parole

The man who killed a teenaged girl in Fleur de Lys almost 13 years ago is now being recommended for full parole.

Officials released a decision on Friday to extend day parole for Michael Lewis, 29, for another three months.

During that period, a hearing will be held to decide if he will be granted full parole. Lewis's case management team has made that recommendation.

Lewis, who was 16 at the time, strangled Samantha Walsh, 13, in a cabin on the Baie Verte Peninsula in February 2000. After misleading investigators for 17 days, he finally confessed to the crime.

He was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for seven years.

Lewis applied for parole in 2007 and was turned down. But in November 2010, he was granted day parole. Officials determined that he was at a low risk to reoffend.