Supreme Court declines to hear appeal of man convicted in Alberta hunters' deaths

Jacob Sansom, 39, and Maurice Cardinal, 57, were shot and killed on a rural road near Glendon, Alta. on March 28, 2020.

Canada's top court has declined to hear the appeal of one of two men found guilty in the fatal shooting of two Métis hunters in eastern Alberta.

As is usual, the Supreme Court did not give reasons for its dismissal Thursday of Anthony Bilodeau's leave to appeal.

A trial heard that in March 2020, Bilodeau and his father had been concerned about a truck parked at the end of their rural property, so they chased down the vehicle and there was a confrontation.

Bilodeau was convicted of second-degree murder in the death of Maurice Cardinal and of manslaughter in the death of Cardinal's nephew Jacob Sansom.

Sansom, 39, and Cardinal, 57, had been moose hunting before they were shot and left on the side of the road near Glendon, Alta., a rural community about 200 kilometres northeast of Edmonton.

Anthony Bilodeau, who fired the gun, was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years.

His father, Roger Bilodeau, was convicted of manslaughter in the two killings and handed a 10-year sentence.

Lawyers for the two men argued at trial that the shooting was in self-defence.

The Crown had said that the father and son took the law into their own hands when they chased down Sansom and Cardinal because they believed the hunters were attempting to steal from their family farm.

The elder Bilodeau was released on day parole in May. Last month, the Parole Board of Canada decided to extend that release for three months, determining the 61-year-old a low risk to reoffend.

"Your criminal actions were motivated by a complex interplay of personal beliefs, misinterpretations, and deep-seated frustrations," the board wrote in its Oct. 28 decision.

"Growing up in a crime-free environment and living a law-abiding life, you harboured a strong sense of responsibility towards family and property. On the day of the offence, your judgment was clouded by anger and mistrust, leading you to pursue and confront individuals you wrongly suspected of criminal intent."

The board said Roger Bilodeau has taken part in faith-based activities while behind bars and has been working and getting counselling while in the community.

The board ordered a panel hearing on full parole.

It imposed three conditions on Roger Bilodeau's day parole: that he have no contact with the victims' family, that he continue to see a therapist and that he follow a curfew "due to some of the community dynamics that remain present in your case."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 14, 2024.