Man who beheaded and cannibalized fellow bus passenger now has full freedom

[True Dough]

Last edited Fri Feb 10, 2017, 11:14 PM - Edit history (1)

This is causing a lot of controversy in Canada. It was an absolutely grisly case from 2008 where a man pulled out a knife on a Greyhound bus and cut the head off the passenger seated next to him while other horrified passengers fled the bus near Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. Then he consumed some of the man's remains before being apprehended by police.

The offender, a schizophrenic, was sent to a psychiatric facility due to being found not criminally responsible for his actions due to mental illness.

Now, less than 9 years later, he's been given an absolute discharge Manitoba’s Criminal Code Review Board. He had already been living in a Winnipeg apartment since November but has been monitored to ensure he's taking his psychiatric medication.

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled in 1999 that a review board must order an absolute discharge if a person doesn’t pose a significant threat to public safety.

The ruling added there must be clear evidence of a significant risk to the public for the review board to continue imposing conditions after a person is found not criminally responsible.

http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/national/freedom+granted+beheaded+cannibalized+passenger/12888081/story.html


What are your thoughts? Should someone with mental illness who has killed another person be warehoused for life? If they are granted freedom, would you be comfortable with them moving in next door?

[sunonmars]

1. Sorry but this guy should never be released, one day missing meds and he'll go off again.

[elehhhhna]

2. No I do not believe this person should be unsupervised

also don't believe in the death penalty, and feel strongly that addicts young people and others who can be rehabilitated should be given that opportunity . Can we not find a logical happy medium between death and full. freedom?

I hate this. I do not want to stigmatize the mentally ill. Except for this guy.

[bettyellen]

4. I agree this is tricky. What he did was unforgivable and there is no way to prevent him

From going off his meds. I'd think monitoring should continue.

[JI7]

3. maybe not prison but i think his freedom should be restricted for life

[TrekLuver]

5. I think the warehousing could be done a lot nicer and full of enrichment. Some sort of group homes.

I'd be OK with living next door to a group home for mentally ill people as long as there were precautions put in place. They need to be on lockdown at night and the perimeter must be secure and they need to be monitored pretty much all the time.

But I'm sorry 9 years and he's out....and did I read a texas woman got 8 years for voter fraud today? What is wrong here....has half the world gone mad?

[msongs]

6. I would not like to live in a group home with this guy..or expect anyone else to do so either nt

[TrekLuver]

7. It would be other mentally ill people of course.

[JI7]

8. this is in canada

He would be locked up for life if it was here.

[Warpy]

9. With daily monitoring that he's taking his medication, sure.

He tries to go off the drugs, back he goes.

[50 Shades Of Blue]

10. 1. Lock him up. 2. Throw away the key.

I know that sounds harsh! But if he went off his meds once he will do it again!

[rug]

11. He was found not responsible for his actions due to a severe illness.

Fortunately he was responsive to treatment.

Of course he should be free.

[BannonsLiver]

12. If he lived here he could probably get a gun

And as much ammo as he could tote.

[maxsolomon]

13. The aftermath of the Grizzly attack on the Elementary School was grisly.

Sorry, can't help myself lately...

[True Dough]

15. Aarrgh!

I should know better! Edited!

[petronius]

14. The man has an illness which caused (causes?) him to eat people.

The illness is controlled by medication, but not eradicated, correct? So as long as the illness still exists, there is still a risk of a medication failure. I'm not any sort of relevant professional, but it seems odd to me that nine years is enough to declare that risk insignificant to the point of not needing further monitoring...

[Warren DeMontague]

16. It's not cannibalism

It's "alternative dining"

[True Dough]

17. Well, I've got a bone to pick with you!

These jokes are entirely inappropriate. Shame on us.

[Warren DeMontague]

18. I have no shame, apparently