Roger and Anthony Bilodeau pleaded not guilty to 2nd degree murder

Two Métis hunters died of gunshot wounds after a confrontation with Bilodeaus in the spring of 2020.

The jury trial of the father-son duo began Monday in Edmonton in a statement by Crown Attorney Jeff Rudiak. He said that on March 27, 2020, Jake Sansom and Maurice Cardinal spent the day hunting and peeling the moose they shot.

At the end of the night, Roger Bilodeau and his son Joseph chased the vehicle carrying Jake Sansom and Maurice Cardinal. Roger Bilodeau believes they are trying to steal it, because they are in their possession. Roger Bilodeau called his other son, Anthony, asking to come with them and bring a gun.

The Crown prosecutor presented in court a video from a surveillance camera showing an argument between the occupants of two vehicles on a rural road, near Lake Siebert, 265 kilometers from Edmonton.

Twenty seconds after Anthony arrived on the road where the vehicles were, he fired at the hunters. Both Jake Sansom and Maurice Cardinal died from their gunshot wounds. According to prosecutor Jeff Rudiak, the Bilodeaus had no reason to fire and no good defense.

Defense attorney Sean Gerstel said the Bilodeau had to defend themselves because they were allegedly attacked by Jake Sansom and Maurice Cardinal. They were armed with several knives and even a gun.

Roger Bilodeau just wants to know why a car stopped on his property. He asked for a gun for protection, because he didn’t know who he was going to deal with. He never had a violent intentsaid Sean Gerstel.

Witnesses began to be called to the stand, including the young man who saw the corpses. Jake Sansom’s brother also testified and was asked about the amount of alcohol the two Métis hunters drank last night. According to the Agreed Statement of Facts, Jake Sansom has nearly three times the blood alcohol limit in his blood.

The trial will continue throughout the week in Edmonton.