MOOSE JAW, Sask. — Attempts to assess whether convicted killer Colin Thatcher is a risk to the public are being stymied by one man -- Colin Thatcher, court heard Monday.

The comments came from Crown lawyer Bill Burge in his opening statement to the jury in the former Saskatchewan energy minister's second bid for early parole.

Burge said the six-man, six-woman panel will hear a psychiatrist and a psychologist testify they have been unable to assess Thatcher.

"Both doctors describe a lack of information that is coming from Mr. Thatcher,'' Burge said.

"The information they require has been kept captive by him over these 19 years.''

Thatcher, 65, was convicted in the murder of JoAnn Wilson in November 1984. He was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years.

He is seeking a shot at early parole under the faint-hope clause of the Criminal Code. But even if the jury finds in favour of Thatcher, the final decision on release still rests with the National Parole Board.

Don Macdonell, the parole officer who completed the most recent addendum to Thatcher's file, was the first witness.

Macdonell read a report into Thatcher's first 16 years behind bars. Since 1984, Thatcher has been able to successfully lower his security rating from maximum to minimum.

Most of the entries paint Thatcher as a hard worker, holding various jobs including tutor, inmate trust fund clerk and mail runner. A recent report says Thatcher will often work seven days a week when he is only paid for five.

The report also says he has maintained a strong connection with his three children and has become a Christian behind bars.

He had personal relationships with two women _ one became his common-law wife for about a year in the mid-1980s, and he got married to another in the mid-1990s, then divorced her two years later.

Thatcher had some minor trouble in jail. In 1994, while in maximum security, he was fined $5 for having a watch, a cup and eight pills in his cell. A few years later, while in medium security, he was fined $5 for not standing during a head count. He was also warned for having a bottle of glue in his cell and not wearing the correct prison attire.

"These are minor things,'' Macdonell testified. "Just a note, like telling your kid to clean up his room.''

Thirteen people, including Thatcher himself, are listed as witnesses at the hearing. Victim impact statements from Wilson's family will also be read.

Thatcher has always maintained he is not guilty.

The hearing will look at the circumstances of the crime, Thatcher's character, his conduct in prison and information from the victim's side.

Thatcher failed in his first attempt at a faint-hope hearing three years ago. He is eligible for full parole in 2009 and day parole in 2006.

A faint-hope hearing is allowed under the Criminal Code for prisoners serving a life sentence who wish to apply to have their parole eligibility reduced after serving 15 years.

The clause was brought in during the 1970s and was designed to give convicts something to work toward while behind bars.