An Alberta farmer, Roger Bilodeau, who was convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of two Métis hunters, Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal, has been denied full parole. The killings occurred on March 27, 2020, when Bilodeau, along with his son Anthony, wrongly believed the hunters were thieves and chased them in their truck, leading to fatal shots being fired by Anthony. While Anthony was convicted of second-degree murder and serving a life sentence, Roger Bilodeau received a 10-year sentence for manslaughter but was credited nearly half the term for time served.
In a recent decision on January 1, the Parole Board of Canada extended Roger Bilodeau’s day parole by six months, citing his “profound lack of judgment” on the day of the killings and his poor decisions based on unfounded assumptions. Although Bilodeau has shown good behavior while on day parole, the board deemed full parole premature, acknowledging the devastating impact on the victims’ family and the larger community.
During the trial in 2022, it was revealed that Bilodeau initiated a high-speed chase, believing the victims were thieves, when they were actually returning from a hunting trip. The confrontation resulted in Sansom and Cardinal being shot, leading to their tragic deaths.
The parole board highlighted Bilodeau’s denial of engaging in vigilante justice and chasing the victims, which undermines his rehabilitation efforts and downplays the severity of his actions. The community where the killings occurred expressed concerns over Bilodeau’s release, emphasizing the ongoing grief and trauma caused by the incident.
Incidents involving Bilodeau’s family members, including a disturbing comment by one of his sons endorsing “frontier justice,” further raised concerns about potential risks to public safety. The victims’ family requested restrictions on Bilodeau’s residency in Alberta due to safety fears, although the parole board couldn’t impose such a broad limitation but emphasized the need for no contact with the victims’ family and ongoing psychological counseling.
Under the conditions of his release, Bilodeau must adhere to a curfew, undergo psychological counseling, and refrain from contacting the victims’ families. The case is set for an appeal hearing at the Supreme Court of Canada in February.
