Matthew de Grood's absolute discharge request denied by Court of Appeal

A mentally-ill man who stabbed five people to death at a Calgary house party in 2014 has had his request for an absolute discharge dismissed by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

A mentally-ill man who stabbed five people to death at a Calgary house party in 2014 has had his request for an absolute discharge dismissed by the Alberta Court of Appeal.

Matthew de Grood, 31, was appealing a decision made by the Alberta Review Board in 2022, which concluded he still posed a “significant risk to the public” and was not able to be released on conditions.

He was asking for an absolute or conditional discharge so he could integrate back into society.

De Grood’s lawyer argued that the review board’s 2022 decision to keep the man in a group home was biased and influenced by Alberta’s former justice minister.

The decision, released Thursday, said his appeal had been unanimously dismissed by the court and that de Grood failed to argue any reviewable error. The court also said it was reasonable for the review board to find de Grood still poses a risk of serious violent behaviour.