A Canadian man has been found not criminally responsible for stabbing to death five university students in a 2014 stabbing rampage at a Calgary house party.
A judge delivered the verdict in the first-degree murder trial of Matthew de Grood. Justice Eric Macklin of Court of Queen’s Bench said he accepted findings from psychiatric experts who said de Grood was suffering from a mental disorder that rendered him incapable of appreciating or knowing that his actions were wrong.
The 24-year-old son of a police officer admitted he killed five people at a Calgary house party on April 15, 2014. But both the defence and the prosecution agree he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time.The finding means de Grood will be kept in a secure psychiatric facility pending assessment by the Alberta Review Board.
During the trial, the judge heard that de Grood became withdrawn about a month before the attack and started posting about the end of the world, religion, vampires and Darth Vader on Facebook. De Grood reported hearing voices telling him to kill before he grabbed a knife from a kitchen in the northwest Calgary home and stabbed the victims to death.
Kaitlin Perras, 23; Lawrence Hong, 27; Josh Hunter, 23; Zackariah Rathwell, 21; and Jordan Segura, 22, were killed. About 20 people were at the party celebrating the last days of classes at the University of Calgary the time. It was the worst mass slaying in Calgary’s history.
Defence lawyer Allan Fay said in his closing argument that his client believed he was defending himself from werewolves and vampires at the time. Prosecutor Neil Wiberg said the experts concluded de Grood was not feigning his mental illness and was incapable of realising his acts were morally wrong.
Gregg Perras, father of Kaitin, said the expert witnesses said de Grood was schizophrenic and they have to accept that. But he said the families have now been given a life sentence.
“It is not over. This isn’t the end,” he said. “Our life sentence is to every year go to the mental health review board and try to make sure this dangerous offender never gets out and has a chance to hurt anyone else.”
Fay read a statement on behalf of de Grood in court. De Grood said he takes responsibility for his illness.
“I am truly and deeply sorry for this. I never intended for anything like this to happen. I feel the sorrow I have caused and will carry it for the rest of my life,” he said in his statement.
“I will control it by faithfully taking my medication and managing potential stressors. I will follow doctor’s orders for the rest of my life.”
