Victim’s father irate after review for house party mass stabber

CALGARY — The father of one of five young people stabbed to death at a Calgary house party in 2014 says the mental health board overseeing the killer’s treatment has been insensitive and disrespectful to the victims’ families.

Matthew de Grood was charged with first-degree murder in the deaths of Zackariah Rathwell, 21; Jordan Segura, 22; Kaitlin Perras, 23; Josh Hunter, 23; and Lawrence Hong, 27. A judge found him not criminally responsible in 2016 because he was suffering from a mental disorder at the time and did not understand his actions were wrong.

The Alberta Review Board decided this week to move de Grood from a secure psychiatric hospital in Calgary to one in Edmonton, where he could be granted unsupervised ground privileges and supervised day passes with staff or a responsible adult.

Gregg Perras, Kaitlin’s father, said victims are “unimportant and forgotten” in a process meant to balance public safety with the interests of someone deemed not criminally responsible.

“The Alberta Review Board, who is supposed to be impartial, unbiased and inquisitorial, was insensitive and disrespectful to the victims at the most recent hearing,” Perras said in an email Thursday.

Psychiatrist Sergio Santana, who heads de Grood’s treatment team, testified at the hearing last month that his patient is fully participating in his treatment and is trying to do the right thing.

That prompted jeers from family members of the victims and a sharp rebuke from the board chair.