De Grood found Not Criminally responsible for Stabbing 5 People to Death at Calgary Party

Matthew de Grood found not criminally responsible for stabbing five people to death at Calgary party

Kevin Martin, Postmedia News | May 25, 2016 | Last Updated: May 26 8:10 AM ET
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Victim's father discusses Matthew de Grood ruling

When Matthew de Grood killed five young Calgarians at a northwest house party he didn’t know he was doing wrong because of a mental disorder, a judge found Wednesday.
In determining de Grood, 24, was not criminally responsible, Justice Eric Macklin accepted the opinions of three experts that the admitted killer was experiencing a psychotic episode at the time of the slayings.
“I find on a balance of probabilities that at the time he caused their deaths, Matthew de Grood was suffering from a mental disorder that rendered him incapable of appreciating or knowing that his actions were wrong,” Macklin said.
“I find that Matthew de Grood committed the acts that resulted in the deaths of these five individuals, but he is not criminally responsible for those deaths on account of mental disorder.”

HandoutsMatthew de Grood’s stabbing victims: Lawrence Hong, Joshua Hunter, Kaiti Perras, Zackariah Rathwell and Jordan Segura.

Doctors testified de Grood was suffering psychotic delusions which led him to believe an end-of-the-world-war was taking place and his victims were part of the other side.
He had been charged with five counts of first-degree murder in the April 15, 2013, deaths of Jordan Segura, Lawrence Hong, Kaiti Perras, Joshua Hunter and Zackariah Rathwell.