A woman on the run in B.C. after a mistaken release from a corrections centre in Alberta and subsequent flight from police says she is frustrated with how she has been portrayed in the media.
Mackenzie Dawn Hardy has been making headlines in recent days after her mistaken release back in April. The 24-year-old has since created a TikTok account sharing some of her travels with her terminally ill boyfriend.
"I鈥檝e seen a lot of stories about me over the last few days, and it鈥檚 been overwhelming to watch the public and media run with a version of events that isn鈥檛 accurate. I鈥檇 like the opportunity to share my perspective," said Mackenzie Dawn Hardy in an emailed statement to Black Press Media.
Hardy she was taken by surprise when she was told she was being released from a Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Centre on April 25. while awaiting a bail hearing for several charges including; possession of stolen property, impaired driving, operation while prohibited, flight from an officer and possession of a controlled substance.
The Red Deer RCMP have confirmed that Hardy was released as a result of fraudulent reports that her charges were stayed, and have confirmed that she is currently wanted by police.
"First off 鈥� I didn鈥檛 break out of jail. I didn鈥檛 plan an escape. And I didn鈥檛 fake court documents. I was released because the people in charge accepted paperwork they shouldn鈥檛 have. That鈥檚 not on me."
Hardy told Black Press Media that she was surprised when she was released and was not made aware of any false documents until a week later, when she was contacted by her lawyer.
"Honestly, I had no idea exactly what happened until I read
It was only through the article that Hardy learned a complete stranger had orchestrated her release. Hardy said the anonymous person seemingly chose her name at random, used public information to create forged documents, and then submitted the forms to the correctional centre prompting her release, all in an effort to expose weaknesses in Alberta's correctional system.
"I had no idea this was happening, but once I was released, I didn鈥檛 question it. I believed it was real. I thought maybe the charges had been dropped, or bail had gone through without me knowing," said Hardy.
"I didn鈥檛 sneak out. I didn鈥檛 climb a fence. I walked out the front door after being told I was free to go...I don鈥檛 think it鈥檚 fair that I鈥檓 being blamed for something that wasn鈥檛 my doing."
Once it became clear that Hardy had mistakenly been released from custody she was asked to return to the Fort Saskatchewan Correctional Facility, but denied the request. There are now warrants out for her arrest and she is considered to be unlawfully at large.
"People are painting me as some mastermind 鈥� someone who pulled off a wild scheme."
But Hardy said the truth is much less nefarious.
She said she is taking advantage of the lapse in her detention sentence in order to spend time with her boyfriend, . Hardy said that White is terminally ill with brain cancer and has been told by doctors that he likely only has a year left to live.
After being released, Hardy met up with her boyfriend and took to the road.
Over the last few weeks, Hardy has been posting to her . After posting a now-deleted video that is believed to have been filmed in Lake Country in the Okanagan, Black Press Media reached out to Hardy for comment on her experience as a woman with warrants out for her arrest who is on the lam in B.C.
"Under better circumstances, it would have been the kind of trip worth remembering," said Hardy.
"Since my release, I鈥檝e been trying to stay safe and survive. We鈥檝e been mostly staying in hotels and eating fast food 鈥� McDonald鈥檚, Tim Hortons, stuff like that. We spent one night camping near Kamloops, and I鈥檒l admit the scenery through British Columbia has been beautiful. Radium especially 鈥� seeing those mountain sheep just walking through town 鈥� it was peaceful in a way I hadn鈥檛 felt in a long time. "
When asked about allegations that Hardy was in Lake Country, Cpl. Troy Savinkoff of the Red Deer RCMP said: "I am not specifically aware of any reports of her being in the Okanogan (sic) specifically."
Conversely, the Kelowna RCMP told Black Press Media it is aware of the situation and is working with RCMP counterparts in Alberta. Her current location is unknown.
Hardy said she knows that she cannot evade police for the rest of her life.
"I鈥檓 not trying to be a fugitive. I鈥檓 not looking to run forever."
Hardy believes that when she eventually faces trial, she will be found 'not guilty' both for the original charges, and the current unlawfully at large situation.
"All I want now is for people to stop judging based on headlines and see the real story. I鈥檓 a regular person who got caught up in a mess someone else created. I鈥檝e tried to stay strong, but it hasn鈥檛 been easy."
