Tyrell Runningrabbit, Stuart Fox, Vincent Cardinal and Thomas Abraham pleaded guilty to manslaughter in connection with the Feb. 21, 2022, beating death of fellow inmate David James Klassen
Four Drumheller Institution inmates will face a sentencing hearing this fall in connection with the slaying of a fellow prisoner after a judge last week balked at a proposed spring 2025 date for counsel submissions.
Justice Sean Dunnigan said it was “crazy” lawyers for the four offenders and the Crown couldn’t find a one-day gap in their calendars until the proposed March 21, 2025, hearing date, which was more than two years after the offenders pleaded guilty to manslaughter.
Tyrell Runningrabbit, Stuart Fox, Vincent Cardinal and Thomas Abraham pleaded guilty on March 13, 2023, to the reduced charge in connection with the Feb. 21, 2022, beating death of fellow inmate David James Klassen.
They’d each been charged with first-degree murder.
Lawyers for three of the offenders, along with Crown prosecutor Heather Morris, appeared before Dunnigan last week to reschedule a one-day sentencing hearing which had to be adjourned because the judge was presiding on a more pressing case.
But Dunnigan sent the lawyers back to the case management office to find an earlier date for them to make their submissions on a fit sentence for each offender.
Defence counsel Allan Fay, who represents Runningrabbit, said he was available sooner, but the lawyer for Cardinal, Edmonton counsel Shawn King, was not.
The Calgary Court of Justice judge said an earlier date would need to be found and if King couldn’t be available; “the accused can get other counsel if he has to.”
On Wednesday, lawyer Matt Browne, who acts for Abraham, appeared on behalf of Fay and King, as did defence counsel James McLeod, who appeared for Fox’s lawyer, Balfour Der, to schedule the one-day hearing to take place on Nov. 1.
Offenders committed group assault
According to a statement of agreed facts read in by Morris when the group entered their guilty pleas, the offenders and Klassen were housed on the same unit at the federal penitentiary northeast of Calgary.
Closed-circuit TV footage from the jail showed the group gathering in the hallway of Klassen’s range at 12:19 p.m. on Feb. 21, 2022.
“Two minutes later Abraham prevented Klassen from exiting his cell, pushing him inside before being followed by Fox, Runningrabbit and Cardinal,” Morris said.
“Runningrabbit, Fox, Cardinal and Abraham admit they acted as joint principals by participating in a group assault of Klassen … by hitting, kicking and stomping Klassen in the head and body, thereby causing his death.”
The agreed facts did not disclose a motive for the attack.
While all four were serving prisoners at the time, both Runningrabbit and Abraham have since completed their sentences.
All four remain in custody pending a sentencing decision by Dunnigan.