Good Samaritan who gave bed to homeless alcoholic was stabbed 53 times, killer admits in pleading guilty

A B.C. man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter after admitting that while a homeless alcoholic he killed a Good Samaritanwho had invited him to stay in his home, stabbing the Calgarian53 times and hiding his body in an alley.

Dennis Sorge, 33,of Terrace, B.C., was originally charged with second-degree murder afterCalvin Brookerwas killed in his homein 2016. But a Calgary court heard Thursday that the Crown and defence had agreed to a plea of manslaughter.

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Crown prosecutor JonathanHaktold provincial court Judge Bruce Fraser he was seeking a sentence of 10 to 12 years in a federal penitentiary, minus time already served.

"This was a brutal, frenzied attack," Haksaid. "Fifty-three stab wounds are not an accident, they are near-murder."

Sorge'sdefence lawyer,MarkhamSilver, argued that a sentence of six to eight years was more appropriate.

"Your sentence is unlikely to bring the type of closure family and friends anticipate," Silver told the judge."No matter the sentence, it cannot return the life that was wrongfully taken."

Hakread aloud most of the victim impact statements, which described Brookeras a "good man" with a "sunny disposition" who would try to help everyone he met, as Brooker's friends and family listened with emotion in the courtroom.

'Calvin wanted to help the defendant'

Brooker, 57, met Sorge at a gay bar in Calgary in early August 2016, according to an agreed statement of facts read into court by Hak.

"The defendant was effectively homeless and Calvin invited the defendant to stay at his residence for a short period of time," Hak read. "Calvin wanted to help the defendant."

Sorgedid not have a romantic or committed physical relationship, butSorgeslept onBrooker'scouch in exchange for some housecleaning and chores, according to the agreed statement of facts.

Brooker shared a home with his 95-year-old mother, Marjorie.Marjorie did not likeSorge, court heard. She viewed him as a freeloader and did not like that he was always intoxicated from excessive alcohol consumption and drug abuse.

On the night of Aug.31, 2016, Marjorie told her son she wantedSorgeto leave their homeand not return.

'Calvin tried in vain to defend himself'

An hour after speaking with her son, Marjorie heardSorgeandBrookerfighting downstairs.

At one point, she heard a voice calling out "Mom."

Court heard thatSorge, who had consumed extreme amounts of alcohol and assorted drugs, was arguing withBrooker. At around 1:30 a.m., he picked up a knife on the living room table and stabbed Calvin while he sat on the couch.

"Calvin tried in vain to defend himself," saidHak.

In total,Brookersuffered31 stab wounds, of which at least 10 were potentially fatal, and 22 incised wounds.

Sorgedragged body into alley and hid it

Sorge wrapped Brooker into a bedsheet and dragged his body through the basement, up the stairs and out the back door onto the back deck before dragging him through the backyard and into the alley.

Sorgethen placed Calvin's body under a bush and proceeded to cover his body with broken branches.

Around 8 a.m.,Sorgecalled 911 and reported findingBrooker'sbody.

During that 911 call, and in a subsequent police interview,Sorgewrongfully cast the suspicion on another man as potentially being the killer, and lied about being home at the time ofBrooker'sdeath.

Listen to Dennis Sorge's full 911 call:

16:30Sorge 911 call

Audio recording of the 911 call placed by Dennis Sorge, who later pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the stabbing death of Calvin Brooker.

In the days that followed,Sorgeleft Calgary for Terrace, in northwest B.C., where he stayed for 10 months before being arrested in June 2017.

Sorge's battle with alcoholism

Silver, the defence lawyer, argued that Sorge's life-long battle with alcoholism should play a role in Fraser's decision, and entered a doctor's expert opinion into the record.

The doctor found that Sorge, who had drunk more than 60 ounces of alcohol, would have been suffering from amnesia, Silver said, and that, due to the excess alcohol and drugs, his brain would have "erased anything at the time that could become a memory."

Hak said although it's agreed Sorge cannot remember attacking Brooker, his alcoholism should not be considered a mitigating factor.

ButSilver said his client was "deprived of the ability to take a conscious decision" and that the judge should keep that in mind.

"Mr. Sorge has to live with the fact that he ended Mr. Brooker's life," he said. "And he has to live with the fact he has no memory of why."

'I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself'

Standing in the prisoner's box, looking exhausted and wearing a brown button-up shirt, Sorge turned and faced Brooker's family and friends.

"There is no way to apologize for what I've done," he said.

You can't just say you'resorry for something likethis, butIcan change.- Dennis Sorge,

"You can't just say you'resorry for something likethis, butIcan change.

"And maybe one day you'll be able to forgive me, but I don't think I'll ever be able to forgive myself."

'I cried for days and days, and still do,' mother says

Five victim impact statements were read into court on Thursday.

Hak read four of them on behalf of Brooker's friends and family, who sat in the courtroom, sometimes becoming emotional during the proceedings.

The prosecutor readthe statement from Brooker's mother, Marjorie:

Why would someone take the life of someone who's trying to help everyone they knew?- DonaldBrooker, brother of the victim

"It took my lifeline, my way of living and quality of life away. I cried for days and days, and still do. I was suddenly homeless and didn't know what to do."

Hak also read a statement from Brooker's brother, Donald Brooker.

"Why would someone take the life of someone who's trying to help everyone they knew? My brother was a good man and we all loved him very much."

Krista Neuheimer, a friend of Brooker's for 15 years, read her statement aloud, tearing up at time.

She said she misses her friend's "lively blue eyes warm hugs and wonderful, sunny disposition."

Looking straight at Sorge, Neuheimer said he was the lucky one.

"You, sir, are still live. You, sir, can laugh, cry and smell, touch beautiful wonderful things of life ... you can wake the next day," she said. "I visit Cal at a gravesite.I get no response. Murder is not reversible. No person wins."

The judge will sentenceSorgeat a later date.

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