Alex Fisher murderer Eric McIsaac yet to reveal reasons behind killing

Eric McIsaac was eligible for parole three times and on each occasion he declined to show at the meeting. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Eric McIsaac is yet to reveal his inner-most secret - why he killed his younger half-brother Alex Fisher.

Today in the High Court at Palmerston North, McIsaac was jailed for life for murdering Alex and given a minimum term of 14 years.

The court heard how mental illness had stalked his 26 years but experts had foundered in attempts to get to the bottom of the problem, partly because McIsaac won't engage.

It's a pattern that's repeating.

McIsaac set fire to his father's Masterton home in December 2012 and was jailed for two years and seven months.

He hadn't even been out of jail for three months when he killed Alex.

Today, the Parole Board released copies of its reports into McIsaac while he served his prison-term for arson.

The board only released him when he could not be kept in jail any longer, when his sentence finished in July 2015.

It considered McIsaac for parole three times and on each occasion, he declined to show at the meeting.

Eric McIsaac was jailed for life for murdering Alex Fisher and given a minimum term of 14 years. Photo / Mark Mitchell

One key line in the board's last report stands out: "Mr McIsaac has continued to decline all opportunities for rehabilitative intervention.

"The last board sought a psychological assessment report but Mr McIsaac declined to engage with the psychologist."

An earlier report says he was "steadfast" in his refusal to engage with offers of rehabilitative help.

"He simply says he will not do any of those programmes."

And he didn't. He was on the waiting list for a "short motivational programme", but was having none of it.

The board, in a report dated June 16, 2015, said it understood he'd been receiving help from the regional forensic mental health service.

Among the conditions imposed on the first six months of McIsaac's release were: he must attend any programme, treatment or counselling directed by his probation officer; not to contact his father or other victims of his offending; and comply with any order from probation to engage with community mental health services.

A report from September 2014 says McIsaac had done nothing to reduce his risk. He said in his appearance waiver: "I want to see my sentence through to its end date".

His first parole report, from October 2013, describes McIsaac as a minimum-security prisoner who posed no problems in jail.