Achi news desk-
A decade after the biggest mass killing in Calgary’s history, the families of the five victims face the new fear of running into the man who fatally stabbed their loved ones.
Global News has confirmed that Matthew de Grod is now living in a group home at an undisclosed location in Calgary.
Crime Beat Podcast: Global News’ Nancy Hixt’s in-depth coverage as the ten-year anniversary approaches of the killing of five young people at a house party in northwest Calgary.
Lawrence Hong, Kaiti Perras, Jordan Segura, Josh Hunter and Zackariah Rathwell were killed on April 15, 2014 while celebrating the end of university classes at an off-campus house party in the northwest Brentwood neighborhood.
Early that morning, a friend of one of the party guests launched a violent, unprovoked attack on all five young people. de Grod, who was 22 at the time, took a large chef’s knife and stabbed Zack, Josh, Jordan, Kaiti and Lawrence.
Moments later, police caught de Groom running wild from the scene of the crime.
Zackariah Rathwell, 21, Jordan Segura, 22, Josh Hunter, 23, Kaitlin (Kaiti) Perras, 23, and Lawrence Hong, 27, died after being attacked and stabbed at a house party in April 2014.
Global News
Zack, Josh and Lawrence died at the scene, Josh and Kaiti were rushed to hospital but later died from their injuries.
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De Grod was initially charged with five counts of first degree murder and his state of mind at the time of the stabbing became the focus of the criminal case.
He was eventually diagnosed with schizophrenia.
A judge found that de Grod was experiencing a psychotic episode when he killed all five victims and that he believed he was “the son of God and Hitler reincarnated” and that the victims were Illuminati, werewolves and medwas.
On May 25, 2016, a judge found de Groom “not criminally responsible” or “NCR” – a ruling that ensures that people with mental disorders are treated, not punished.
Every year de Grod’s progress is assessed by the Criminal Code Review Board (formerly the Alberta Review Board) which determines whether there is still a significant threat to public safety. In order to determine that risk, the board looks at the likelihood that de Grod will have another psychotic episode and tries to assess what he would be likely to do if he did. There are three legislative options for the board to consider for individuals deemed to be NCR: they can be held on full bail, granted conditional release or full release.
Over the years, de Grod’s freedom has increased and in October 2023 he expressed a desire to leave Edmonton and return to Calgary. That move was approved and he is now in the city in a group home described as “very structured with 24-hour supervision.”
“I was a realist, I assumed it would happen at some point,” Gregg Perras, Kaiti’s father, told Global News.
“This is still a pretty little city,” Perras said. “Like the likelihood that one of the families doesn’t run into it is pretty low that it’s going to happen and it’s going to set off, you know, a lot of anxiety and PTSD…when you see someone who has kill your child.”
de Grod has been seeking absolute release but so far it has not been granted. It is expected to undergo another review in the autumn of 2024.
& copy 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
