Day parole granted for man convicted of manslaughter in deaths of Métis hunters
A man convicted of manslaughter in the 2020 deaths of two Métis hunters has been granted day parole.
Maurice Cardinal and his nephew Jacob Sansom were moose hunting in March 2020 when they were fatally shot and left on the side of the road near Glendon, Alta., about 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.
Roger Bilodeau was convicted of manslaughter in both deaths and sentenced to 10 years in prison.
His son Anthony Bilodeau was convicted of second-degree murder in both deaths and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years.
Both men have filed appeals.
According to court documents, Roger Bilodeau chased the victims for seven kilometres after they drove by the Bilodeau property.
He eventually blocked the vehicle occupied by the victims, and Anthony Bilodeau arrived in a second vehicle and shot both Cardinal and Sansom, according to the documents.
Roger and Anthony then left the scene without making any attempt to call for help.
Both Roger and Anthony claimed their property had been targeted by thieves, and they thought Cardinal and Sansom were planning to rob them.
On Thursday, the Parole Board of Canada granted Roger Bilodeau day parole, but denied a request for full parole.
In its decision, the board took into account Roger's lack of criminal history and a willingness to work cooperatively with correctional authorities during his time in custody.
It also heard victim impact statements from members of Cardinal and Sandsom's families, as well as statements from the Métis community, police, and the community at large.
"[The family] struggles with the short time you have spent in custody… when they will never have any time with the victims," the decision reads.
"They express concerns for the needless act that resulted in their loved one's murder and the callous way that you and co-accused left the victims at the site with no attempt to seek help."
As part of the decision, multiple conditions were imposed, including:
- no direct or indirect contact with any members of the victims' family;
- participate in counselling; and
- a curfew to be imposed by a parole officer.
Roger Bilodeau will serve his day parole at a community-based residential facility for a period of six months.
The board had previously granted Roger Bilodeau temporary, unescorted absences on Feb. 21 for "family contact and personal development" purposes.
Correction
A previous version of this article said Anthony Bilodeau was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray, two-time PGA Tour winner, dead at 30
Two-time PGA Tour winner Grayson Murray died Saturday morning at age 30, one day after he withdrew from the Charles Schwab Cup Challenge at Colonial.
This type of screen time has the worst effect on kids: experts
According to some experts, there is one type of screen time that is continuously excessive, and it's having a severe effect on our children.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
At least 9 dead in Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after severe weather roars across region
Powerful storms killed at least nine people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas after obliterating homes and destroying a truck stop where drivers took shelter during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
As Canada warms, infectious disease risks spread north
Cases of Lyme disease have now increased more than 1,000 per cent in a decade as the warming climate pushes the boundaries of a range of pathogens and risk factors northward.
Man throws flaming liquid on New York City subway, burns fellow rider
A man set a cup of liquid on fire and tossed it at fellow subway rider in New York City, setting the victim's shirt ablaze and injuring him.
'Furiosa,' 'Garfield' lead slowest Memorial Day box office in decades
Movie theaters are looking more and more like a wasteland this summer. Neither "Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga" nor "The Garfield Movie" could save Memorial Day weekend, which is cruising towards a two-decade low.