'Our lives are constantly interrupted': Family of Métis hunters slain in 2020 on court process

The family of two Métis hunters gunned down in 2020 spoke outside court in Edmonton on Wednesday about the difficulty their family has faced while going through the court process.

Sarah Sansom and Gina Levasseur were in court for an appeal hearing for Anthony Bilodeau, who was found guilty in 2022 of second-degree murder in the death of Maurice Cardinal and manslaughter in the death of Jacob Sansom.

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.

Anthony Bilodeau was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years for the deaths, his father, Roger Bilodeau was convicted of manslaughter in both deaths and sentenced to 10 years in prison.

No decision was made on Wednesday regarding Anthony Bilodeau's appeal.

Levasseur, who is Jacob Sansom's brother and Cardinal's niece, and Sarah Sansom, who was married to Jacob Sansom, told reporters after the proceedings that it's been difficult reliving the trauma every time they're summoned to court.

"Our lives are constantly interrupted. So we start to get our lives kind of back together, we start going back to work ... and then we get that phone call," Levasseur told reporters.

"Every time something happens with one of those men, we are pulled back in, we are grieving again, we are hurt again."

Sarah Sansom spoke of the challenges of leaving her children to come to Edmonton for court dates, especially her daughter Cierra, who has recently been diagnosed with a rare neurological disease that impacts mobility.

"I could get a call next week and I have to go up to Edmonton and my kids can't be here. It's not good. I have to make arrangements, especially with Cierra not as mobile as she was."

"Trying to explain the process to these kids … The kids don't understand. All they see is they lost their two favourite people."

Last month Roger Bilodeau was granted permission by the Parole Board of Canada to leave prison on unescorted temporary absences to connect with family and attend church services.

Sansom says the family is reeling from the decision.

"We are pissed, we are furious. We weren't given a chance to speak at that hearing. We weren't even told that there was a hearing."

"Nothing will ever bring our boys back. Nothing," Lavasseur said.

Roger Bilodeau has also appealed his sentence. The family has been waiting six months for the outcome of that appeal.

With files from CTV News Edmonton's Amanda Anderson