Man serving manslaughter sentence for deaths of Métis hunters granted unescorted temporary absences

Jacob Sansom, 39, and Maurice Cardinal, 57, were shot and killed on a rural road near Glendon, Alta. on March 28, 2020.

Roger Bilodeau, one of the two men involved in the deaths of two Métis hunters will be allowed to leave prison on unescorted temporary absences.

In March 2020, hunters Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal, who were related, were chased, shot and killed in rural Alberta.

Bilodeau is serving a 10-year manslaughter sentence at a minimum security prison. His son, Anthony Bilodeau, was convicted of second-degree murder for Cardinal's death and manslaughter for Sansom's death. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years.

Despite opposition to his release from the victims' family and RCMP, the Parole Board of Canada approved Bilodeau's request on Feb. 21, 2023.

Bilodeau, now 60, applied for the absences for family contact and personal development with the support of his parole supervisor.

In the written decision, the parole supervisor said Bilodeau had been out on escorted temporary absences with no concerns or suggestions of public safety being compromised.

The unescorted temporary absences will allow Bilodeau to connect with family up to 72 hours per month as well as time to attend church services.

A condition of the absences is that Bilodeau not have direct or indirect contact with any member of the victims' family.