OTTAWA – The Correctional Service of Canada and Parole Board of Canada are reviewing the statutory release, community supervision and parole board decisions made on Myles Sanderson.
Sanderson, 31, killed 11 people in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon on Sept. 4. James Smith Cree Nation had declared a state of emergency in the aftermath of the massacre. At the start of the rampage, police believed Myles Sanderson's brother Damien Sanderson was involved but on Thursday they said that Damien Sanderson was Myles Sanderson's eleventh victim. During a live media conference streamed on Facebook, RCMP said that Damien Sanderson planned the murders with his brother Myles Sanderson but "something changed" and Damien Sanderson didn't participate.
Myles Sanderson was released on statutory release in August 2021, according to February 2022 parole documents obtained by SASKTODAY.ca. His release was suspended three months later after his ex-girlfriend reported that they had been living together, which was against his parole conditions. In February, however, the parole board cancelled his suspension, released him and put a reprimand in his file.
The report reveals that Sanderson was quick-tempered and had a history of violence.
Sanderson was serving a four year, four month federal sentence for assault with intentional use of force, three counts of assault with a weapon, assault of a peace officer, armed robbery, uttering death threats, and uttering threats to destroy property. He was given a lifetime ban on owning weapons.
Gang affiliation
Sanderson previously belonged to a street gang and used that affiliation to terrorize his children, the parole report states.
In July 2017, he barged into his ex-girlfriend’s home, made comments about a gang, damaged property, and acted in a threatening manner. She was socializing with friends at the time and two of his children were in the home.
The children woke up during the incident and when they went downstairs they were quickly taken back upstairs and hidden in a bathtub to protect them. Sanderson went upstairs and terrified the children by punching a hole in the bathroom door, made comments about the gang and acted in a threatening manner to them.
The women in the home eventually got Sanderson away from the children and out of the home. Outside, Sanderson threw a cement block at one of the women’s vehicles damaging the windshield. He then kicked the side of the car and threw the cement block through the side window.
Police were called but Sanderson fled before they arrived.
Sanderson also associated with drug dealers and pimps, according to the parole report.
Violent crimes
Sanderson had a lengthy criminal record with 59 previous convictions. They included seven counts of assault, four counts of assault with a weapon, aggravated assault, assault causing bodily harm, robbery, three counts of uttering threats, three counts of mischief, two counts of assaulting a peace officer, two counts of resisting arrest, 28 counts of failing to comply with conditions, obstruction, being unlawfully at large, breach of a conditional sentence order, break and enter, fail to provide a breath sample, possession of controlled substance, and impaired driving.
In November 2017, Sanderson acted as a lookout as his accomplice robbed a fast food restaurant with the use of a firearm. Sanderson threatened his accomplice into committing the robbery by hitting him in the head with the firearm and stomping on his head, states the parole board report.
In April 2018, while drinking at someone’s home Sanderson became angry and started attacking other people in the house. He stabbed two men with a fork and then went outside and attacked another man, beating him until he lost consciousness.
He went back to the home. The door was locked so he kicked it down to gain entry.
In June 2018, when police went to his ex-girlfriend’s house looking for him, he refused to come out for police and told them they would have to shoot him. He was eventually taken into custody.
While in handcuffs, he lunged at a police officer and tried pulling away from police while they tried to search him. When he was placed into the back of the police vehicle, he kicked an officer in the face and on top of the head repeatedly until police were able to put him completely into the vehicle and close the door, according to the parole board report.
Inter-generational trauma
Sanderson experienced the effects of colonialism and inter-generational trauma, according to parole board documents.
He grew up in an urban area in a dysfunctional home plagued with domestic violence and instability. He suffered physical abuse and neglect.
In his middle years he lived with his grandparents in their First Nation community but returned to live with his father when he was 11 because of the abusive environment. He went back and forth between his parents’ homes.
When he was about 12, Sanderson started drinking alcohol and smoking marijuana. He got into cocaine at 14 and eventually methamphetamine.
Sanderson struggled with anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts and he believed he suffered from Post Traumatic Stress. He took anti-psychotics, as well as psychotropic medication to manage his Attention Deficit Disorder.
Other contributing factors
The parole board report said that other factors that contributed to Sanderson’s violence and criminal offences included a lack of cultural involvement, a lack of meaningful goals and direction, poor problem-solving, limited coping strategies, witnessing parental violence and substance abuse, and a fragmented family.
A large part of Sanderson’s “nefarious behaviour” stemmed from a feeling of abandonment and not being wanted after being passed around to different family members, said the parole board report.
Medium-to-high risk: Parole Board
Sanderson’s Case Management Team recommended that the parole board revoke his statutory release.
The parole board documents reveal that they considered Sanderson a medium-to-high risk with a high-risk to reoffend.
When releasing Sanderson in February, the parole board said they were “satisfied” that his “risk is manageable in the community,” if he doesn’t drink or do drugs and continues with therapy. The board cancelled Sanderson’s parole suspension and released him with a reprimand for not communicating with his parole supervisor.
On Thursday, the Correctional Service of Canada and the Parole Board of Canada said they extend their thoughts to the victims, their families, Indigenous peoples, and communities impacted.
Sanderson died after being arrested and the Saskatoon Police are investigating the circumstances of his death.
— for more from Crime, Cops and Court.
