Suspect in Calgary’s worst mass murder found fit to stand trial
Posted May 22, 2014 2:27 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
CALGARY (NEWS1130) – The man accused in the murders of five young people in Calgary has been deemed fit to stand trial.
Matthew De Grood, 22, was in court Thursday morning following a 30-day psychiatric assessment and will make his next court appearance July 22nd.
He appeared in front of a Calgary judge via CCTV.
Though fit for trial, De Grood has also been certified under the Mental Health Act and will remain at the Southern Alberta Forensic Psychiatry Centre until doctors there say otherwise.
Defense Lawyer Allan Fay received a hard drive containing a huge amount of disclosure from the Crown, which the prosecution said will take two months to pour over.
Fay added just because De Grood has been deemed fit does not mean he isn’t mentally ill.
“Being fit to stand trial only means that he understands the process,” Fay said. “You can still be very profoundly mentally ill and be fit to stand.”
“I visited him on a number of occasions, he’s doing as well as can be expected, he’s obviously worried and apprehensive about what’s happening and what will happen.”
De Grood is charged with five counts of first-degree murder, after a mass stabbing at an April 15th house party.
Lawrence Hong, Joshua Hunter, Zack Rathwell, Kaiti Perras, and Jordan Segura were killed.
De Grood is the son of a veteran Calgary police officer.
