Read & watch moving statement from families of Matthew de Grood's stabbing victims - Action News
Home WebMail Wednesday, November 13, 2024, 07:00 AM | Calgary | -0.3°C | Regions Advertise Login | Our platform is in maintenance mode. Some URLs may not be available. |
CalgaryVideo

Read & watch moving statement from families of Matthew de Grood's stabbing victims

"The end of this trial is not the end of the journey for us; we continue to be broken." Read and watch the moving statement from the families of five young Calgarians after their killer was found to be not criminally responsible for stabbing them to death at a party.

Statement from families of Lawrence Hong, Kaiti Perras, Jordan Segura, Zackariah Rathwell and Joshua Hunter

Families' statement after Matthew de Grood murder trial decision

8 years ago
Duration 4:33
Miles Hong speaks on behalf of families of 5 people killed by Matthew de Grood after a judge decided de Grood was not criminally responsible for the fatal stabbings at a Calgary house party in 2014.

"The end of this trial is not the end of the journey for us; we continue to be broken."

Those moving words were read aloud outsidethe CalgaryCourtsCentre Wednesday byMiles Hong, on behalf of the victims' familiesafter Matthew de Groodwas found to benot criminally responsible (NCR) for killing five young people at a house party in 2014.

"The finding of NCR will be a recurring nightmare for our families," said Hong, whose brother Lawrence Hong was stabbed to death along with KaitiPerras, JordanSegura,ZackariahRathwelland Joshua Hunter.

Readthe families' moving statement in full below and watch their statement in the accompanying video:


Now that the trial for Matthew de Grood has concluded, the families of Lawrence Hong, Kaiti Perras, Jordan Segura, Zackariah Rathwell and Joshua Hunter would like to make a brief statement.

First of all, we would like to thank Justice Macklin [and]express our deep gratitude that he allowed us to read five tributes to our wonderful families within the court.

Our goal at the beginning of the trial was to put the spotlight on our loved ones, the family members that we lost; and that continues to be our goal now and into the future.

We ask that everybody remember the namesZackariah Rathwell, Jordan Segura, Kaiti Perras, Joshua Hunter and Lawrence Hong.

We can all cherish their legacy by reminiscing moments together, living out their values and supporting others through the scholarships and foundations created in their memory.

Those are the individuals who should be remembered. Those are the lives that were lost, and no matter what,Kaiti, Jordan, Josh, Zack and Lawrence are still gone and our families will never be whole again.

The end of this trial is not the end of the journey for us; we continue to be broken.

The five families would support the prosecution in seeking the designation of High Risk NCR, which would givegravitasto the fact that Matthew deGroodkilled five people and would support the system in ensuring that he is not a threat to the public.- Statement from the families of Matthew de Grood's victims

The finding of NCR will be a recurring nightmare for our families.In this system, Matthew de Grood will be meeting with a Mental Health Review Board every single year to determine if he will be granted concessions.

There will be no peace for us; our wounds will never fully heal because every year our families will have to wonder, what will be the fate of the man who destroyed so many lives.

Every year we will be forced to relive details of our family's deaths, and the anguish and sorrow. We ask that fellow Canadians become more informed about the justice system, about the designation of "Not Criminally Responsible" and its implications.

A possible reprieve for our family will be the designation of a High Risk NCR, a new law that among other changes would allow a review board to decide to assess at every three years for an extremely dangerous offender.

The five families would support the prosecution in seeking the designation of High Risk NCR, which would give gravitas to the fact that Matthew de Grood killed five people and would support the system in ensuring that he is not a threat to the public.

Every year that Matthew de Grood is reviewed, we hope that our community will continue to value the lives of Josh, Zack, Lawrence and Kaiti and Jordan, and do what they can to support the five lives that Matthew de Grood ended.

A lot of discussion around these murders and trial are painful to think about and at times get away from the core of it. That five lives were taken away and countless others damaged by the actions of one person.

Unfortunately, no matter what the outcome is, or could have been, our loved ones Lawrence, Zack, Josh, Jordan and Kaiti are gone and there is no changing that fact.

Those five young bright people will only ever smile in our memories. We can only hug them in our dreams, and every moment, good or bad, will be spent wishing they could share it with us. Their lives, our lives, and that of their friends and the future for all of us affected are forever changed.

Thank you for your attention.