Edmonton Stabbing Deaths of Infant and Toddler Deemed 'Unforeseeable' in Inquiry Report
A recently released fatality inquiry report has concluded that authorities could not have done anything differently to prevent the tragic 2018 Edmonton stabbing deaths of a baby girl and her three-year-old sister. The girls were killed by a man who believed he was father to both children, though DNA testing later revealed he was not the biological father of the older child.
Justice R.W. Brandt's Findings
Justice R.W. Brandt, who presided over the fatality inquiry held on November 27, 2023, stated in his December report: "His behaviour was unforeseeable. (The killer) carried out this unspeakable crime. He was solely responsible for it." The report emphasized that this was not a case where matters fell through cracks in social service systems, but rather an unpredictable tragedy.
Brandt made no recommendations for preventing similar deaths in the future, stating: "In light of the foregoing, I made no recommendations with respect to how similar deaths might be prevented in the future."
Background of the Tragedy
The man, who was 31 at the time of the killings, was sentenced in February 2021 to life in prison with no chance of parole for 17 years. He pleaded guilty in Edmonton court to two counts of second-degree murder, aggravated assault, and breach of probation for the December 2018 stabbings at an Edmonton apartment. His identity was not disclosed to protect the girls' identities.
Both girls were subjects of supervision orders made under Alberta's Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act at the time of their deaths. The girls' mother, a 30-year-old Indigenous woman, had struggled with poverty, homelessness, and addiction to hard drugs in the two years leading up to the killings, according to the report.
Family History and Circumstances
The killer, a member of Alexander First Nation northwest of Edmonton, was described in the report as "the product of a chaotic home characterized by violence and substance abuse." As a child, he experienced severe poverty, food insecurity, and was both victim and witness to various forms of violence.
The report noted that while not formally diagnosed, it was quite likely he suffered from Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder and Attention Deficit/Hyperactive Disorder. During 2017 and 2018, he was suffering from a severe addiction to hard drugs including crystal methamphetamine, with much of his criminal record accrued during that period.
Social Services Involvement
The mother first came to the attention of Children and Family Services representatives in the summer of 2017, with concerns about substance abuse by the couple and potential neglect of the older daughter. From that time forward, she received regular family support services, most provided by the Wapski Mahikan Society, an Indigenous agency located on Alexander First Nation.
Children and Family Services made significant efforts to keep the mother and her daughters together. In February 2018, case workers applied for and received a supervision order for the oldest girl. Shortly after the baby was born, a similar supervision order was obtained for her as well.
The man and the girls' mother were in an occasionally abusive domestic relationship that had continued on an on-and-off basis for several years, according to the report. Despite the challenges, social service agencies maintained regular contact and provided support to the family throughout this period.
