Treatment Team Recommends Increased Freedoms for 2014 Calgary Killer
A treatment team has recommended granting additional freedoms to Matthew de Grood, the man responsible for one of Calgary's deadliest mass killings. De Grood fatally stabbed five young people at a house party in 2014 while experiencing a severe psychotic episode.
The recommendation comes after years of treatment and assessment at Alberta's forensic mental health facility. Matthew de Grood was found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder for the deaths of Jordan Segura, Kaitlin Perras, Josh Hunter, Lawrence Hong, and Zackariah Rathwell.
Background of the Tragic Incident
The horrific events unfolded on April 15, 2014, during what should have been a celebratory university house party marking the end of classes. De Grood, then 22, arrived at the Brentwood community gathering and later launched a violent attack that claimed five young lives.
Courtroom sketches from April 22, 2014 show de Grood's initial appearances in Calgary court, where the gravity of the tragedy began to unfold publicly. The case has been subject to regular mental health review board hearings to assess his progress and potential risk to public safety.
Current Status and Future Considerations
The treatment team's recommendation for increased freedoms represents a significant development in de Grood's ongoing mental health treatment. These recommendations are typically presented to the Alberta Review Board, which oversees individuals found not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
The board must carefully balance public safety concerns with therapeutic progress when considering such recommendations. Previous hearings have documented de Grood's response to antipsychotic medication and therapy, though details of the specific freedoms being recommended haven't been publicly disclosed.
Families of the victims continue to attend these hearings, maintaining their connection to the legal process that determines de Grood's treatment and potential reintegration into society. The case remains one of Alberta's most closely watched mental health and justice proceedings.
