An Alberta farmer convicted of manslaughter following the deaths of Métis hunters Jacob Sansom and Maurice Cardinal in 2020 has been granted extended day parole.

The Parole Board of Canada rejected Roger Bilodeau’s request for full parole in an October 28 decision.

The board instead extended Bilodeau’s day parole by three months and ordered a committee hearing to re-examine his eligibility for day parole.

The commission concluded that a committee hearing was necessary to better assess the risks of granting Bilodeau full parole due to the “high-risk” interactions he may face in the community in reason for his crimes.

Sansom and Cardinal were shot and killed on a rural Alberta road by Roger Bilodeau’s son, Anthony, after a brief chase on the night of March 27, 2020.

Anthony Bilodeau was convicted of second degree murder and is currently serving a life sentence for the murders.

Roger Bilodeau was convicted by a jury of manslaughter in both cases. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but got almost half that for time already served.

In its October decision, the commission concluded that Bilodeau, a 61-year-old farmer from Glendon, Alta., presents a low risk of reoffending despite the “personal beliefs, misinterpretations and deep-rooted frustrations” that motivated his decision. crimes.

“Reports indicate that you are not proud of your actions,” the parole decision states.

“Your decision came from frustration with the way policing has been conducted in your rural area. You do not condone the use of violence in general. However, you state that people have the right to defend themselves.” , the report says.

“On the day of the offense, your judgment was clouded by anger and distrust, leading you to pursue and confront individuals you wrongly suspected of criminal intent.”

On the night of the murders, Roger Bilodeau pursued Sansom and Cardinal in a high-speed chase, mistakenly believing the men to be thieves.

Sansom and Cardinal were actually returning from a moose hunting trip.

After spotting Sansom’s pickup truck on the road near his farm, Roger Bilodeau followed them in his truck, traveling the back roads at high speed.

As the elder Bilodeau pursued the hunters in a remote area near Glendon, Alta., he called his son and told him to bring a gun.

Shortly after arriving at the scene where the two other vehicles had stopped, Anthony Bilodeau shot Sansom and Cardinal, who were unarmed.

The father and son fled the scene. Cardinal, 57, and his nephew Sansom, 39, died from their injuries, bodies found on the road the next morning.

Appeals to the Supreme Court remain pending

Both men have since appealed their convictions to the Supreme Court of Canada and both appeals remain pending.

Roger Bilodeau was granted day parole for the first time on April 25, 2024, despite widespread opposition from victims’ families and defenders of the Métis Nation of Alberta.

He was released to an Alberta community the following month, but the name of the facility where he lived was redacted from parole documents.

Most federal offenders can apply for full parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Day parole is intended to prepare offenders for release into the community.

Offenders on day parole must return to a facility or halfway house every evening unless otherwise authorized, and are often subject to additional restrictions.

Bilodeau remains under conditions of not establishing any direct or indirect contact with the families of the victims. He must also continue psychological monitoring and respect the curfew.

The board says Bilodeau’s release would not pose an “undue” risk to the public and supports his request for full parole at a later date.

The Parole Board said no violations were reported and that Bilodeau spent most of his time working to supplement income from his farm.

The commission found that he continues to pursue rehabilitation through counseling and prayer and has maintained a “low profile”.

In previous parole hearings, RCMP have expressed concerns about how Bilodeau’s release might occur, suggesting his presence could inflame tensions in the community and create safety concerns.

The Parole Board said those issues should be reviewed before Bilodeau is granted additional freedoms.

The board said it “would like to further discuss with you community dynamics and potentially high-risk situations that may continue to occur.”

In its decision, the commission recognized the profound harm and trauma his serious and violent crimes caused to the victims’ families and the community.

“Your actions were impulsive and reckless and the significant impact on the victims has not been forgotten by the board.”