2014 Calgary stabbing

On April 15, 2014, five young adults were stabbed to death at a house party in the Brentwood neighbourhood of Calgary, Alberta, Canada. The stabbing attack occurred several blocks away from the University of Calgary campus, and the party was held to mark the end of their school year. It was the deadliest act of mass murder to have ever occurred in the history of Calgary. Police arrested Matthew de Grood in connection with the massacre.

Details

The attack occurred at 1:20 a.m. at a house at 11 Butler Crescent, where about thirty people were present at the party. The assailant, an invited guest, committed the attacks shortly after arriving at the party. He obtained a large knife at the house and stabbed the victims methodically. Each victim was stabbed multiple times. The suspected attacker fled on foot but was arrested by police 40 minutes later with the aid of the K-9 unit.

Victims

The victims were Joshua Hunter, Kaiti Perras, Jordan Segura, Lawrence Hong, and Zackariah Rathwell, who ranged from 21 to 27 years of age. Hunter lived in Priddis, Alberta while the other four lived in Calgary. Hong, Segura, and Rathwell were pronounced dead at the scene, while Perras and Hunter were taken to hospital but succumbed to their wounds.

Suspect

The suspect is Matthew de Grood, 22, who attended the University of Calgary and was planning on attending law school. He was an employee of Safeway prior to the stabbings. He has been charged with five counts of first-degree murder. He had no previous run-ins with the police. He is the son of a city police officer with the rank of Inspector.

De Grood was being held at a secure psychiatric facility adjacent to the Calgary Remand Centre. According to authorities, he personally knew at least one person that was present during the party. According to de Grood's parents and classmates, his behaviour had started to change in the weeks before the murders; he began posting more frequently on Facebook, submitting "bizarre" status updates.

On May 22, de Grood was found mentally fit to stand trial after undergoing a psychiatric assessment.

Wikipedia.org

 

Calgary stabbing suspect declared fit to stand trial

CTVNews.ca Staff

May 22, 2014

The suspect charged in the stabbing deaths of five young people at a house party in Calgary last month has been declared fit to stand trial.

Matthew de Grood appeared before a judge via closed-circuit television Thursday after undergoing a 30-day psychiatric evaluation. The evaluation was ordered following his arrest, in order to determine his fitness for trial.

De Grood has been referred back to the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre until doctors declare that his mental health has improved.

His lawyer, Allan Fay, told reporters outside court that de Grood is “doing as well as can be expected” under the circumstances.

Asked why de Grood was declared fit to stand trial but referred back to a psychiatric facility, Fay said: “You have to keep in mind that being fit to stand trial only means that he understands the process and he can instruct counsel.

“You can still be very profoundly mentally ill and be fit to stand trial.”

Kaiti Perras, 23, Jordan Segura, 22, Zackariah Rathwell, 21, Josh Hunter, 23, and Lawrence Hong, 27, were stabbed to death on April 15 during a house party to mark the end of university classes.

Two of the victims, Hunter and Rathwell, were best friends and were in a band together called Zachariah and The Prophets.

Perras had majored in English at Mount Royal University before attending the University of Calgary, while Hong was about to graduate from the urban studies program. Segura had been working part-time at two Calgary funeral homes.

Police have not said if they have a motive for the killings, but have confirmed that de Grood had been invited to the party and was mingling with guests before the attack.

Less than a week after the stabbings, de Grood’s father, a veteran Calgary police officer, said he had no idea what motivated the attack and described his son as a “great kid” who was full of “love, kindness and respect for others.”

De Grood, 22, is charged with five counts of first-degree murder in what’s been described as the worst mass murder in the city’s history.

Another court date has been set for July 22, giving Fay two months to go through all the police evidence and witness statements provided by the Crown.

 

Stabbing suspect Matthew de Grood transferred to psychiatric facility

By Jason van Rassel, Calgary Herald

April 17, 2014

The suspect accused of fatally stabbing five people at a northwest Calgary house party has been moved to a secure psychiatric facility pending a court appearance next week.

Matthew de Grood, who is charged with five counts of first-degree murder is now in custody at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre, which assesses suspects’ fitness to stand trial and mental capacity.

Lawrence Hong, Josh Hunter, Kaitlin Perras, Zackariah Rathwell and Jordan Segura were at an end-of-semester celebration at 11 Butler Cres. N.W. early Tuesday when another partygoer attacked and fatally wounded them with a knife.

The case is considered the worst mass homicide in Calgary’s history.

Police officers who rushed to the scene arrested de Grood, 22, a short distance from the home.

An ambulance took de Grood to Rockyview Hospital to treat injuries he suffered while being taken down by police K9 dog.

A justice of the peace conducted a bail hearing via telephone Tuesday, ordering a psychiatric assessment for de Grood.

His lawyer, Allan Fay, said Wednesday morning de Grood has since been moved to the psychiatric facility, which is near the Calgary Remand Centre.

De Grood is scheduled to appear in Calgary provincial court next Tuesday, but Fay said it’s too early to know if he will apply for bail.

Because of the seriousness of the allegations, bail applications for suspects charged with first-degree murder must be heard by the province’s superior court, Court of Queen’s Bench.

Fay, who was in Red Deer for another court case, said he has yet to receive any disclosure from prosecutors of their evidence against de Grood.

“My practice is not to do a bail hearing until I’m up to speed,” he said.

Fay said he has spoken to de Grood via telephone and is hoping to visit him in person for the first time Wednesday afternoon.

De Grood’s father Insp. Doug de Grood, a 33-year veteran of the Calgary Police Service who has held several senior roles.

Fay said he has spoken to the elder de Grood and the suspect’s father is “devastated.”

“He’s obviously very upset and concerned about his son and very concerned about the families of the deceased,” Fay said.

Two of the victims, Josh Hunter and Zackariah Rathwell, were members of a popular local band, Zackariah and the Prophets.

Hunter, 23, was also an accounting major at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. Rathwell, 21, was a first-year student at the Alberta College of Art and Design.

Segura, 22, was a religious studies student at the University of Calgary. Perras, 23, previously attended Mount Royal University for English after graduating from Bishop Carroll high school. She worked as a hostess at a downtown restaurant last year.

Brad Taylor, owner of Briggs Kitchen + Bar, called her a “really great Calgary kid.”

A friend said Lawrence Hong, 27, was approaching his 28th birthday next week, describing him as a foodie, traveller and volunteer.

He was a volunteer with the Calgary Folk Music Festival and Fairy Tales Film Festival.

Meanwhile, provincial justice officials announced Wednesday a Crown attorney from Edmonton will be brought into prosecute the case.

The measure is standard practice designed to address any perceived conflict of interest when a Calgary police officer is accused of a criminal offence. Alberta Justice spokeswoman Michelle Davio said officials decided to do so in this case, considering the accused is the son of a high-ranking Calgary officer.

The killings took place at a house party largely attended by University of Calgary students celebrating Bermuda Shorts Day, a long-running tradition to mark the last day of classes.

De Grood attended U of C and police said he was an invited guest at the party. He had been accepted into the faculty of law and was due to start classes this fall.

De Grood had worked a shift at the Crowfoot Safeway store prior to arriving at the party, and police have no evidence he was impaired by drugs or alcohol — the police Chief Rick Hanson said Tuesday that finding is preliminary.

Hanson said de Grood was an invited guest at the party and none of the witnesses questioned by police saw any kind of confrontation that hints at a motive behind the killing spree.

“Was there anything that precipitated the event? Was there something that anyone had done that could have been taken as an insult or an affront to this individual? And to the best of our knowledge right now, there’s nothing to indicate anything like that happened earlier in the day that led to this,” he said.

Multiple sources said the investigation is now focusing on de Grood’s mental state — though Hanson didn’t specifically comment on that avenue of investigation.

“At this point in time, it’s very preliminary and can’t say for sure,” he said.

There were about 30 people at the house at the party’s height, but neighbours said there were no signs things were ever out of hand.

“They were just were kind of hanging out, had a fire pit going, having a few beers. They weren’t loud at all, whatsoever,” said neighbour Doug Jones, whose backyard faces the yard behind 11 Butler Crescent.

The numbers had dwindled to about 20 when the suspect struck without any outward warning, police said.

“The suspect arrived at the party, obtained a large knife and targeted the victims one by one, stabbing them several times,” Hanson said.

Someone at the party called 911 at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. When police arrived, they found three men dead inside the house. Officers found a fourth man, suffering from critical stab wounds, on the front lawn. Perras, who was also critically injured, was found inside the house. Paramedics took both victims to hospital, where they died.

 

Police officer's son charged in city's worst mass murder

Victims 'targeted 'one by one' during house party

By Jason van Rassel, Calgary Herald

April 17, 2014

Like many local students, Matthew de Grood got off work Monday night and headed out to celebrate the end of the semester at the University of Calgary.

But shortly after being welcomed into a Brentwood house party, de Grood would be strapped to a stretcher and under arrest, accused of fatally stabbing five others at the gathering — the worst mass killing in Calgary’s history.

"Everybody is so shocked right now. I saw his picture. At first I thought, ‘Oh, my God, maybe he’s the one who got hurt. Then I read underneath. My heart just dropped," said a former high school classmate of de Grood’s, who also knew him at U of C.

The victims — Lawrence Hong, Josh Hunter, Kaitlin Perras, Zackariah Rathwell and Jordan Segura — were, by all accounts, celebrating like everyone else when they became the subjects of an unprovoked attack just after 1 a.m. Tuesday.

Police Chief Rick Hanson said the victims were "targeted one by one" during a house party at 11 Butler Cres. N.W.

"These were all good kids. There’s no question about that. They did nothing wrong, and nothing that they did contributed to what happened to them," Hanson said.

Police have a suspect — the son of a well-regarded senior officer from their ranks — and the names of the victims quickly spread among grief-stricken family members, friends and classmates as Tuesday wore on.

But the question police have yet to answer is shared by the wider community as the investigation heads into its second day: why?

"It is natural to speculate when these types of events occur. We want to know what happened, who was involved and why the outcome was so horrific," Mayor Naheed Nenshi said in a statement posted to his Facebook page.

While the police have yet to specify a precise motive, they charged de Grood with five counts of first-degree murder — a charge that indicates evidence of planning and deliberation.

Two of the victims, Josh Hunter and Zackariah Rathwell, were members of a popular local band, Zackariah and the Prophets.

Hunter, 23, was also an accounting major at the University of Calgary’s Haskayne School of Business. Rathwell, 21, was a first-year student at the Alberta College of Art and Design.

"They were amazing, they were really creative and they inspired me," said Eric Grant, a friend of the bandmates who attended a candlelight vigil for all five victims at U of C on Tuesday night.

"Today has been the hardest day of my life."

Segura, 22, was a religious studies student at the University of Calgary. Perras was 23; Hong was 27.

Investigators were still trying to sort out if any of the victims lived at the rented house that hosted the party, but police said it was mainly a gathering of University of Calgary students celebrating Bermuda Shorts Day, a long-running tradition to mark the last day of classes.

"Our thoughts and condolences go out to the families who have lost their loved ones in this senseless tragedy. The university community has lost a part of its family, and this is a very difficult time for all of us," U of C president Elizabeth Cannon said.

Authorities confirmed de Grood also attended U of C. Friends posted congratulatory messages on de Grood’s Facebook page last December, when he announced he had been accepted into the faculty of law and would begin attending classes this fall.

A status update posted on de Grood’s Facebook profile Monday night, hours before the stabbings, read: "Dread and the fugitive mind — the world needs a hero."

The first phrase is the title of a song by the heavy metal band Megadeth; the second phrase is the name of the 2001 album it appeared on.

De Grood had worked a shift at the Crowfoot Safeway store prior to arriving at the party, and police have no evidence he was impaired by drugs or alcohol, but Hanson added that finding was preliminary.

Hanson said de Grood was an invited guest at the party and none of the witnesses questioned by police saw any kind of confrontation that hints at a motive behind the killing spree.

"Was there anything that precipitated the event? Was there something that anyone had done that could have been taken as an insult or an affront to this individual?

"And to the best of our knowledge right now, there’s nothing to indicate anything like that happened earlier in the day that led to this," Hanson said.

Multiple sources said the investigation is now focusing on de Grood’s mental state — though Hanson wouldn’t specifically comment on that avenue of investigation.

"At this point in time, it’s very preliminary and can’t say for sure," he said.

As investigators try to piece together the events that led up to the killings, detectives have also sought answers from de Grood’s parents.

His father, Insp. Doug de Grood, is 33-year veteran who has held several senior posts during his time with the police department.

"He’s heartbroken, as his wife is. He said, can you please pass on to the families our total and complete sorrow and condolences as to what happened," Hanson said.

"They’ve been incredibly co-operative with this investigation. They have told the investigators everything."

There were about 30 people at the house at the party’s height, but neighbours said there were no signs things were ever out of hand.

"They were just were kind of hanging out, had a fire pit going, having a few beers. They weren’t loud at all, whatsoever," said neighbour Doug Jones.

The numbers had dwindled to about 20 when the suspect struck without any outward warning, police said.

"The suspect arrived at the party, obtained a large knife and targeted the victims one by one, stabbing them several times," Hanson said.

Someone at the party called 911 at about 1:20 a.m. Tuesday. When police arrived, they found three men dead inside the house. Officers found a fourth man, suffering from critical stab wounds, on the front lawn. Perras, who was also critically injured, was found inside the house. Paramedics took both victims to hospital, where they died.

"There was a witness there, right away, that gave very good information to the responding officers that pointed them in a direction where the suspect was last seen," Hanson said.

Officers arrested de Grood a short distance away, near the intersection of Brentwood Boulevard N.W. and Charleswood Drive.

"There was a struggle and he had to be subdued," Hanson said.

De Grood was injured by a police K9 dog during the arrest. He was taken to Rockyview Hospital for treatment, where he remained Tuesday night.

Back at the house, crime scene investigators searched the area for evidence. "The scene was horrific. It’s extremely difficult, regardless of who the perpetrator is, to go into a scene like that with young people who have been killed," Hanson said.

Police recovered a weapon from the street, but it’s not immediately known if it was used in the killings. Hanson said de Grood was armed with "an instrument" from his job at the grocery store, but the knife used in the killings was allegedly taken from inside the house.

The killing is the worst mass homicide in Calgary’s recorded history.

In 2008, a Calgary architect named Joshua Lall killed his wife, their two daughters and a tenant renting a basement suite in their Dalhousie home before killing himself. The couple’s infant daughter survived the attack.

A precise motive for the crime was never known, but Lall, 35, was struggling with mental illness prior to killing his wife Alison, 34, daughters Kristen, 5, and Rochelle, 3, and Amber Bowerman, a 30-year-old journalist who rented the basement suite.

With files from Clara Ho, Eva Ferguson, Jamie Komarnicki and Tony Seskus, Calgary Herald