Another step was taken towards returning Layne Larose to society last week, as he is being released to a group home in Saskatoon.
Larose was committed to Saskatoon's Regional Psychiatric Centre and later Saskatchewan Hospital after being found not criminally responsible in the 2002 deaths of David Kennedy and Hughie Sayers. Larose wielded an axe in killing Kennedy before dousing a North Battleford.home with gasoline.
Relatives of Kennedy say Larose was released Sept. 30 to the group home in Saskatoon, where he will be supervised by a care worker there. They have not yet received a copy of the final disposition from the review board.
Larose had been found not criminally responsible after it was determined he suffers from paranoid schizophrenia, which manifested in the from of various delusions.
Larose's discharge to the group home was considered Sept. 26 at Saskatchewan Hospital. At a 1 p.m. conference call at the hospital, the review board handling the Larose case met to go over the details surrounding the proposed move of Larose to a Sasktoon group hom.
Three relatives of Kennedy attended the conference call, including David's mother Debbie and cousin Roxanne.
Larose was present, as were several hospital officials. Those on the telephone line included members of the Saskatchewan Review Board, as well as Dean Sinclair from the attorney general's office.
Doctors at the hospital had recommended Larose's release to an approved home last year during a meeting of the review board at the hospital. At the time they cited his good progress in responding to medication.
In April, his release was granted by the Saskatchewan Review Board, with Larose allowed to live in an approved home committed to monitoring his treatment. However, since that time Larose has continued to spend most of his time in the transitional unit at Saskatchewan Hospital as well as six weeks at Donaldson House.
The initial plan had been to find an approved home in the Battlefords, but plans changed and Larose sought to stay in Saskatoon.
In the conference call, review board chair Peter Foley noted the focus was to satisfy the board that Larose would be monitored and be supervised through the facilities with the care home.
The conference call went over details about Larose's release to the care home in Saskatoon, including monitoring, regular reporting to the review board, and what the care home operator should do if any signs of relapse were to occur. The likely conditions of his release were also outlined including requirements to avoid bars and liquor stores as well as a weapons prohibition. He will not be allowed to leave Saskatchewan, either. A final disposition of the matter with the complete list of conditions is expected to be issued later in the week.
During the conference, Larose thanked everyone for supporting his recovery and pledged to do his best and "be careful out there," and to let people know if he gets into trouble with his recovery.
Following the meeting, family members of the victims said they did not have confidence Larose was ready to return to society and said he would not get enough monitoring to avoid a relapse.
"He shouldn't have this kind of freedom yet," said Roxanne Kennedy, cousin of David Kennedy. "My big concern is the public and family and friends."
Kennedy expressed concern about possible contact Larose might have with relatives in Saskatoon, particularly her daughter and common-law spouse. Another concern for her was that Larose would possibly be able to return to the Battlefords on weekends, with the Review Board voicing little objection to that idea. Kennedy said that was something she wanted to be made aware of.
All in all Roxanne expressed frustration with what she feels is a lack of communication about the situation, and didn't express much confidence with the whole review process in general or that Larose would stick with his recovery.
"(There are) no words for how I feel about that. All I know is the trust ain't there. You can't really give the person the benefit of the doubt because of his past and what he has done."
