Suspect in Saskatchewan Stabbing Attempted Similar Attacks Years Ago, Court Files Show

Saskatchewan stabbing attack suspect Myles Sanderson in a police handout photo. HO-Saskatchewan RCMP/The Canadian Press

One of the suspects in the mass stabbing in Saskatchewan that left 10 people dead had committed a similar assault several years ago, court documents show.

In 2015, Myles Sanderson was accused of trying to kill Earl Burns through “repeatedly stabbing with a knife,” and also attacked and wounded Joyce Burns, according to the documents obtained by Global News. The names of an Earl and a Joyce were found listed as Sanderson’s in-laws in a criminal file in the Saskatchewan courts, Global reported.

On Jan. 26, 2015, Sanderson was charged in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, with attempted murder, aggravated assault, and weapons possession following the knife attack on his in-laws. He pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, assault, and threatening to kill Earl Burns. On Oct. 28, 2015, Sanderson was given a sentence of roughly two years.

Burns, 66, was among the 10 people killed as the suspect went on a stabbing rampage in various locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon, Saskatchewan, on Sept. 4. Seventeen individuals were injured in the incident.

Sanderson’s brother, Damien Sanderson, also a suspect, was later found dead on the First Nation on Sept. 5, marking the 11th fatality in the incident. The police previously said Damien Sanderson had visible injuries that are not believed to be self-inflicted.

An RCMP officer at the scene where suspect Myles Sanderson was arrested, along Highway 11 in Weldon, Saskatchewan, on Sept. 7, 2022. Lars Hagberg/AFP via Getty Images

On Sept. 7, the RCMP in the town of Wakaw received a report of a break-and-enter and information stating that Myles Sanderson was standing outside of a residence, armed with a knife. He reportedly stole a white Chevrolet Avalanche truck with a Saskatchewan licence plate and fled the property, the RCMP said in a statement.

The police arrested him later that day after responding to sightings of the stolen vehicle on a highway near the town of Rosthern, which is roughly 65 kilometres north of Saskatoon.

Shortly after his arrest, Sanderson went into medical distress and was transported to a hospital in Saskatoon, where he was pronounced dead.

History of Violence

The police had been on the lookout for Myles Sanderson since May 2022, just months after he was granted statutory release by the Parole Board of Canada in February, according to documents obtained from the board by The Epoch Times.

Statutory release—a presumptive release by law—requires the Correctional Service of Canada to release most offenders after they have served two-thirds of their sentence if they have not already been granted parole, allowing the offender to serve part of their sentence in the community under direct supervision.

At the time of his release, Sanderson had been serving a federal sentence of more than four years. He had convictions for a total of 59 offences, including seven counts of assault, four counts of assault with weapon, three counts of uttering threats, three counts of mischief, and two counts of assault of a peace officer, among others, the documents said.

“Your criminal offending commenced at a young age and has continued with no significant breaks for almost two decades,” the board added.

(Top L–R) Stabbing victims Bonnie Burns, Carol Burns, Christian Head, Lydia Gloria Burns, and Lana Head. (Bottom L–R) Stabbing victims Wesley Petterson, Thomas Burns, Gregory Burns, Robert Sanderson, and Earl Burns. Royal Canadian Mounted Police via AP

The document recorded Sanderson’s history of violent behaviour that led to the injuries of others.

In 2017, Sanderson reportedly barged into a home where his ex-girlfriend and two children lived, making threats. The children were hiding in an upstairs bathroom, and Sanderson went upstairs and punched a hole in the bathroom door, frightening the children. He fled before the police arrived.

A few days later, he got into an argument with a First Nation band store employee, who he threatened to kill. He also threatened to burn down the victim’s parents’ house. Police arrived but he had again fled the scene.

In April 2018, while Sanderson was drinking at a residence, he got angry with the people he was with and assaulted two males in the residence, stabbing them with a fork. He later exited the residence and attacked another male who had been walking nearby, beating him until he lost consciousness in a ditch.

Sanderson had a history of alcohol and substance abuse from early in his childhood. He started smoking marijuana at around the age of 12, and used cocaine soon after. He told the parole board that his regular use of cocaine, marijuana, and hard liquor would make him lose his mind and get angered easily when drunk, but that he was a different person when sober. The document, however, noted that he has “not been able to maintain long-term sobriety.”

Release

Sanderson had previously received statutory release from prison in August 2021, but the parole board revoked it about four months later, saying he failed to communicate with his parole supervisor. In its decision, dated Feb. 1, the board decided to cancel the suspension, saying that he “was not considered an undue risk to society.”

“It is the Board’s opinion that you will not present an undue risk to society if released on statutory release and that your release will contribute to the protection of society by facilitating your reintegration into society as a law-abiding citizen,” the parole board documents show.

“The Board cancels the suspension of your statutory release with a reprimand. The reprimand is that you failed to be open in communications with your parole supervisor, which resulted in your suspension; going forward, you need to be honest and open with your parole supervisor.”

In May 2022, months after his release, the Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers listed Sanderson as “unlawfully at large.” He was last seen in Saskatoon, about 200 kilometres southwest of the scene of the mass killings on Sept. 4.

Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino has pledged a review of the Parole Board of Canada’s decision to release Sanderson, as well as the laws and enforcement mechanisms surrounding statutory release of offenders.