About the Killer Dads and Custody List (Canada)
This is NOT a comprehensive list of all Canadian fathers who have killed their children in situations involving domestic violence and/or child abuse. This list is limited to articles we have found where there is an identifiable child custody, visitation, and/or child support angle in the children's deaths. Even then, we can’t claim that this is a comprehensive list of child custody, visitation, and or child-support- related murders. Quite often, newspaper articles just don’t provide enough information to make a judgment call.
There is no time limit to the actual dates of death on this list, though most are comparatively recent— usually (but not always) with an article on the deaths appearing in the last five years or so. (Often it takes years for charges to get filed in these cases, or for cases to go to trial.) Note that there are several cases going back to the 1990s.
In the past, many have asked which cases specifically involve a family court which ignored the concerns of a protective mother or involved notable police, court, and/or child protection incompetence/corruption, I have marked some of the more egregious cases of that type with an asterisk. Of course, the criterion is somewhat subjective, and is also based on having enough media coverage to discern whether these factors were present. Once again, that doesn’t mean that other cases on this list didn’t involve those factors. Only that I have insufficient information at this time.
Additional information can be found on all these cases by searching the Internet or the Dastardly Dads site.
2013 deaths are highlighted in yellow.
2014 deaths are highlighted in green.
2015 deaths are highlighted in blue.
ALBERTA
*Father: JASON BRUCE CARDINAL
Victim(s): Caleb (6 years), Gabriel (3 years)
Date of Death: December 2010
Despite extensive psychological problems, father granted unsupervised visitation with two sons. Father had initially been awarded full custody, but mother regained custody in February 2010. In November 2012, father convicted of 1st-degree murder for killing of two sons. Mother has filed lawsuit against Child and Family Services.
Father: SPENCER JORDAN
Victim(s): Meika Jordan (6 years)
Date of Death: 2012
In December 2013, father, step ordered to stand trial for 1st-degree murder charges. Mother testified at hearing. Father said to have "sole custody" or "primary custody" at time of child's injuries, but parents had shared legal custody. Father shut off visitation, but never held accountable. Mother briefly won custody back, only to have judge reverse--even though father had shut off visitation while homeless. Father and step found guilty of 2nd-degree murder in June 2015.
Father: JAMES LOUIE
Victim(s): Jason (13 years), Jane (11 years)
Date of Death: November 2009
Father had threatened to kill mother before their separation, yet father maintained possession of the children in the family home. Despite mother's offers to provide the father with most of the marital assets, father murdered children.
Father: GERALD MAYHEW
Victim(s): Unnamed daughter (15 years)
Date of Death: 1997
Father found guilty of murdering daughter during weekend visitation in 1998. Father found dead in jail cell in September 2009.
Father: RICH SAUNDERS
Victim(s): Colton Dale (3 years)
Date of Death: September 2008
Father had been involved in "custody battles" for years with child's mother. Boy killed during court-ordered weekend visitation in murder-suicide. Mom had been refused a move away, and had feared for son's safety.
Father: UNNAMED DAD
Victim(s): Unnamed sons
Date of Death: December 2010
Children found dead in father's townhouse. Formal custody arrangement unclear. Reported that the children had been living with mother at the time of their deaths, but also said that by a 2008 custody agreement, the mother was to pay the father almost $1000 a month in child support.
BRITISH COLUMBIA
*Father: ALLAN SCHOENBORN
Victim(s): Kaitlynne (10 years), Max (7 years), Cordon (5 years)
Date of Death: April 2008
Despite history of domestic violence and mental illness, father still allowed access to the children after separating from the mother. Father found not criminally responsible in children's murders.
NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR
Father: TRENT SPENCER BUTT
Victim(s): Quinn Butt (5 years)
Date of Death: April 2016
Father received joint custody despite history of dismissed DV charges. Charged with 1st-degree arson and murder.
NOVA SCOTIA
Father: JAMES JOSEPH PETER-PAUL
Victim(s): Matthew James Raymond Peter-Paul (3 years)
Date of Death: October 2010
Custodial father charged with 2nd degree murder in death of son.
ONTARIO
Father: EVERETT BIDDERSINGH
Victim(s): Dwayne Biddersingh (15 years), Melonie Biddersingh (17 years)
Date of Death: Son died in a fall from a 22nd story window in what was originally classified as a suicide in 1992. Daughter died in 1994 when body found in burning suitcase, but she was not identified for years.
Daughter had been starved and had multiple fractures at time of death. Custodial father, step not charged with daughter's murder until 2012. Mother lost custody to father in Jamaica. Father finally went to trial in October 2015.
Father: GARFIELD BOOTHE
Victim(s): Shakeil Boothe (10 years)
Date of Death: May 2011
Father gained custody of son in 2009. Boy formerly lived in Jamaica. Was essentially tortured, chained to bed, beaten, and starved until his death. Father, step convicted of murder, sentenced to life in prison in June 2014.
Father: TONY DOOLEY
Victim(s): Randal Dooley (7 years)
Date of Death: 1998
Custodial father, step convicted in 2002 in death of son. Another case where boy formerly lived in Jamaica and brought to Canada by father. Boy found in emaciated condition, multiple fractures, lacerated spleen, head-to-toe bruising. Murder convictions upheld on appeal in September 2010.
Father: FEDERICK GAYLE
Victim(s): Tiffany Gayle (15 years)
Date of Death: June 2010
Father, step charged with 2nd-degree murder in daughter's death. Father's custodial status not explained.
Father: FRANK BRIAN O'DEA
Victim(s): Victoria O'Dea (21 months)
Date of Death: December 2015
Father charged with manslaughter in daughter's death due to starvation/dehydration. Parentes separated, custodial situation not clarified.
Father: ANDREW OSIDACZ
Victim(s): Jared Osidacz (8 years)
Date of Death: 2006
Boy died trying to protect father's girlfriend, girlfriend's daughter from abuse. Father had been granted unsupervised visitation despite previous convictions for violent crimes. Boy stabbed to death before father finally shot and killed by police. Mother Julie Craven has become noted advocate for victims of domestic violence.
Father: SEAN SUMMERS
Victim(s): Kayleigh Ingram-Summers (4 months)
Date of Death: July 2010
Mother had primary custody, but child-welfare agency insisted that unemployed, single father remain involved. Baby died of fatal head injuries while under father's care. Father convicted of manslaughter in baby's death.
Father: MARIO WINT
Victim(s): 2-year-old son
Date of Death: January 2015
Father had gained full custody just two months before son's death. Charged with 2nd-degree murder. Convicted May 2016.
QUEBEC
Father: FRANCIS BASTIEN
Victim(s): Jeremy Bastien-Perron (4 years)
Date of Death: December 2008
Boy had lived with father and his girlfriend for only 5 weeks, but during that time was continually beaten and abused. Girlfriend convicted of 1st-degree murder in 2011. Father finally convicted of criminal negligence and assault in 2014, after admitting that he had also beaten and abused the child. Authorities reported it as being one of the "worst cases of child abuse they had ever seen." No word on what happened to the mother or why the father had gained custody.
Father: MARTIN GODIN
Victim(s): Beatrice Godin (11 years), Medora Godin (13 years). Also mother Nancy Sampson and her boyfriend, Benoit Daigle
Date of Death: February 2014
Parents were obviously no longer living together. Father killed two daughters in his home during his access time, in what appeared to be botched murder-suicide. Also murdered mother and her boyfriend at another location.
Father: THOMAS HOULE
Victim(s): Unnamed daughter (18 months), Unnamed son (8 years)
Date of Death: May 2011
Dad had been granted full custody despite history of domestic violence. Children killed in arson murder-suicide.
Father: JOCELYN MARCOUX
Victim(s): Lindsay Brillant-Marcoux (13 years), Karen Brillant-Marcoux (9 years)
Date of Death: July 2012
Father had been in decade long custody battle with children's mother. Killed children in arson murder-suicide. Posted fathers rights rant on Facebook right before children were murdered. Father had been awarded joint legal custody, despite criminal record.
Father: THIERRY PATENAUDE-TURCOTTE
Victim(s): Unnamed son (1 year)
Date of Death: June 2014
Father had been in "custody battle" with mother, and had lost ten days before. Despite history of drug abuse, assault, and threats, father had access which he used to kill son in murder-suicide.
Father: ALBERT PELCHAT
Victim(s): Daphne (6 years)
Date of Death: September 2009
Non-custodial father killed daughter in apparent murder-suicide. Murder apparently during his visitation time, though also rumored that father was not to be alone with girl under court order. Reported that girl normally lived with mother.
Father: PREDRAG PERISIC
Victim(s): Deyan, (daughter Danyela wounded)
Date of Death: December 2010
Father stripped mother of custody when judge Helene Le Bel decided the mother had been exaggerating abuse claims against the father. Although the children were Canadian citizens, father promptly relocated to the U.S. (Texas) on one day's notice and cut off all contact with the mother. Mother was able to get "full temporary custody", but RCMP, FBI refused to get involved in finding missing children. When located by local law enforcement, father shot and shot and killed son, severely wounded daughter.
*Father: GUY TURCOTTE
Victim(s): Anne-Sophie (3 years), Olivier (5 years)
Date of Death: February 2009
Father killed children shortly after separating from the mother. Though had no prior history of mental illness, but was not found not guilty for mental health reasons. Mother has feared for her safety with father's release in 2013. Was released from mental hospital though hospital admits he represents a "significant threat to public safety." Father granted bail in September 2014.
Father: SERGE VEZINA
Victim(s): Jeremy Vezina (4 years)
Date of Death: January 2011
Father with shared custody agreement strangles son to death in murder-suicide.
Father: RAFAL ZEMBOWICZ
Victim(s): Adam Zembowicz (10 months)
Date of Death: July 2015
After parents separate and mother files for divorce, father kills infant son in murder-suicide.
SASKATCHEWAN
Father: UNNAMED DAD
Victim(s): William Michael Vayro, UNNAMED DAUGHTER (3 years)
Date of Death: 2010
Son found dead in his bed, daughter found dead in "accidental" drowning a few months earlier. Unnamed relatives in Alberta had expressed concerns about children's safety in home of custodial father, girlfriend, but they were ignored by the authorities. Son's death ruled a homicide.
Father: UNNAMED DAD
Victim(s): Two unnamed children
Date of Death: December 2010
Non-custodial father arrested for murder of two children. Reported that children normally lived with their mother. Appears murders took place during father's holiday visitation.