LAKELAND - The Supreme Court of Canada has declined to hear an appeal filed by Anthony Bilodeau, a Glendon-area man who was convicted of second degree murder and manslaughter in relation to the deaths of Maurice Cardinal and Jacob Sansom.
The decision was issued on Nov. 14, and no reasons were released with the decision.
On Jan. 6, 2023, Anthony Bilodeau was sentenced to life in prison without the eligibility for parole for 13 years. He was previously found guilty of second degree murder in the death of Cardinal, and manslaughter in the death of Sansom.
Cardinal and Sansom were found dead at a rural intersection near Glendon on March 28, 2020.
As previously heard during the trial, Cardinal, 57, and Sansom, 39, had been hunting earlier in the day, killing and butchering a moose. While driving along a rural road that night, they stopped briefly near Roger Bilodeau’s home.
Roger believed Sansom and Cardinal were looking for a home to break into and he left the house in pursuit of the hunters.
Roger followed Sansom and Cardinal for over 7 km, at times reaching speeds of over 150 km/h. During the pursuit, Roger phoned his son Anthony, asking him to bring a gun.
Anthony shot Sansom in the chest and then shot Cardinal three times. The bodies of Sansom and Cardinal were found at 4 a.m. the next morning.
Roger Bilodeau to continue day parole
Roger Bilodeau, who had been convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to five years, six months and 19 days in relation to the deaths of Sansom and Cardinal, will be allowed to continue day parole, following a decision made on Oct. 28 by the Parole Board of Canada.
Roger must not have any contact with victims' families, respect a curfew, and follow psychological counsel, according to the most recent decision.
The decision states that Roger is assessed at being in the "low-risk category" for re-offending.
Roger was originally released on day parole on May 1, 2024. The more recent decision states the parole board is "mindful that potential issues may surface within the community and [the Correctional Service of Canada] CSC will need to continue to closely monitor this and maintain close supervision of you as well as maintain close communication with local law enforcement so that an immediate response can be actioned should any concerns surface."
The board granted continued day parole to a community-based residential facility, as per the release plan, for three months.
The decision also states that Roger has been working and seeing a therapist.
The board is ordering a panel hearing for full parole in order to better assess the risk of the expanded form of release, according to the decision. While the release plans would be the same for full parole, in its decision, the board says it wants to talk with Roger further about "the dynamics in the community and potentially high-risk situations that may continue to be encountered."
