In a significant development, Alberta’s highest court has overturned the first-degree murder conviction of a man involved in a fatal shooting near Edmonton in 2020. Kardon Demetroff, who was apprehended on May 4, 2020, in connection with the death of landlord Larry Parker, saw his conviction overturned by the Court of Appeal of Alberta.
Following a trial in 2022, where Demetroff was found guilty of first-degree murder and his co-accused of manslaughter, the court has ordered a new trial for Demetroff. A three-judge panel determined that errors were made in the jury instructions provided by the trial judge, particularly regarding the assessment of Demetroff’s statements to the police, where he denied being the shooter.
The Court of Appeal highlighted issues with how the jury was guided on evaluating Demetroff’s statements, emphasizing that even if they did not believe his denials, they could still have reasonable doubt about his guilt. The decision underscored the importance of clarifying this point to the jurors, especially considering the emphasis placed by the Crown counsel on the discrepancies in Demetroff’s police statement.
Demetroff is set to return to court in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, on November 25 to initiate the process of arranging a new trial. The initial conviction stemmed from an incident where Larry Parker’s body was discovered on a rural road after he responded to a noise complaint at a property in Wetaskiwin. The prosecution had argued that the circumstances surrounding Parker’s death could be construed as first-degree murder.
Moreover, the appeal decision also highlighted deficiencies in the instructions provided to the jury regarding Demetroff’s actions post-offence, as well as the handling of evidence related to his past conduct and criminal record. The court concluded that these factors hampered the jury’s ability to fulfill its role effectively, leading to the decision for a retrial.
This ruling marks a significant turn in the case, signaling a fresh legal process for Demetroff as the judicial system seeks to ensure a fair and thorough examination of the events surrounding the tragic incident.