Alberta’s highest court has reversed a first-degree murder conviction for an individual involved in a deadly shooting incident in 2020, located south of Edmonton. Kardon Demetroff was apprehended on May 4, 2020, in connection with the slaying of Larry Parker, a 74-year-old landlord whose body was discovered on a rural road just outside Maskwacis, Alta., on April 12, 2020.
Following a trial in 2022, a jury convicted Demetroff of first-degree murder, while a female co-accused was found guilty of manslaughter. While first-degree murder typically carries a mandatory life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years, the Alberta Court of Appeal has ordered a retrial for Demetroff. A three-judge panel determined that the trial judge had made instructional errors to the jury in various aspects.
The Court of Appeal judges highlighted issues in how the jury was instructed to evaluate Demetroff’s statements to the police, particularly his denial of being the shooter and the conflicting accusations between him and his co-accused. The decision emphasized that jurors should have been informed that disbelief in the defendant’s statements did not eliminate the possibility of reasonable doubt regarding his guilt.
Demetroff is scheduled to appear in court in Wetaskiwin, Alta., on November 25 to initiate preparations for a new trial. The Court of Appeal decision also revealed discrepancies in the jury’s understanding of Demetroff’s actions post the offense and the admissibility of evidence concerning his past conduct, contributing to the jury’s inadequacy in fulfilling its role.
Parker’s body was found shortly after he was summoned to a Wetaskiwin property by a tenant reporting disturbances. During the 2022 trial, it was disclosed that Parker encountered Demetroff and his co-accused outside the property. The duo informed the police that Parker had agreed to provide them transportation within Wetaskiwin. Demetroff disclosed having a gun and directed Parker to exit the vehicle, allegedly firing a shot towards the departing car, though denying striking the victim.
Parker’s abandoned SUV was located approximately six kilometers from his body, which was positioned about 20 kilometers away from the property where he was called. The prosecution argued that the incident could be deemed first-degree murder due to the victim’s confinement in the vehicle and Demetroff’s alleged involvement as either the primary shooter or the provider of the firearm.
