Victim, accused in corn maze killing previously deemed 'significant threat' to public: documents

The accused and the victim in a fatal stabbing at the Edmonton Corn Maze earlier this week had both previously been found not criminally responsible for violent crimes and confined to a psychiatric hospital, court documents show.

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Michael George Ferzli, 41, was charged with second-degree murder after Joseph Farnsworth, 53, was killed at the popular attraction on Tuesday.

Emergency crews were called about a stabbing at the corn maze at 7 p.m.

Ferzli was arrested at the scene.

Police said the victim and the assailant were guests at the corn maze and knew each other.

Sources confirm to CTV News that both men were connected to Alberta Hospital.

According to court documents, Ferzli has schizophrenia and has experienced "psychotic symptoms."

He has been involuntarily confined to hospital on multiple occasions since 2008 because of his mental state, including a 2020 order that made him an in-patient at Alberta Hospital for a 12-month period after he was found not criminally responsible in an assault case.

The Criminal Code Review Board (CCRB) reviewed Ferzli's case in October 2023 and found him to be "a significant threat to the safety of the public."

He was ordered to reside in an approved residence in Edmonton and report to the Forensic Assessment and Community Service (FACS) weekly, or more often if so directed.

He was also granted "unsupervised passes to the city of Edmonton and area."

A court appearance has been scheduled for Ferzli on Sept. 4 in connection with Farnsworth's death.

Documents show Farnsworth also had a schizophrenia diagnosis and a diagnosed antisocial personality disorder.

He was found not criminally responsible in an assault case from 2007 and was confined to Alberta Hospital pending a disposition hearing within 45 days.

The CCRB reviewed Farnsworth's case in May, and he was also found to be "a significant threat to the safety of the public."

He was ordered to find an approved accommodation in Edmonton or Grande Prairie and report to FACS every four weeks or more often if directed. 

The Edmonton Corn Maze closed on Wednesday and Thursday following the killing, but announced on social media it would reopen on Friday.

Anyone with tickets for Wednesday and Thursday is encouraged to contact the corn maze for refunds.