A Saanich man convicted in a 1990 double murder in Tsawwassen has won a review of a decision to deny him full parole.
Derik Lord, along with David Muir and Darren Huenemann, were teenagers attending Mount Douglas Secondary School when they murdered Huenemann’s mother and grandmother in an attempt to secure a $4-million inheritance.
Lord, who is now 50 and continues to maintain he is innocent, had been granted day parole in March 2020, and was eligible for full parole earlier this year, but the request was denied by the Parole Board of Canada.
Lord appealed the February decision, arguing it was unreasonable. It followed what was reportedly a tense hearing where Lord had to pause to collect himself during questioning.
According to the appeal division’s decision, “the board’s written reasons do not adequately explain why it preferred its observations about your emotions management in an hour and 46 minute hearing to that of the file information” — referring to a November 2023 assessment of Lord’s behaviour while on day parole.
The assessment, submitted as part of Lord’s hearing and appeal, said he had “progressed at a slow and gradual pace since he was released in March 2020.”
“Lord demonstrated stability, self-awareness and transparency with his [case management team], family and supports,” a summary said. “He maintained employment, involvement in cultural practices and in his family’s life. He has a good awareness of what can contribute to destabilizing his release, and he is conscious and aware of avoiding these situations.”
In its decision, issued June 27, the appeal division said it was “obvious … that the questioning by the board during the hearing had a negative effect on [Lord’s] ability to effectively communicate.”
“Although you took responsibility for not presenting well during your hearing, the appeal division finds that the tension present during most of the hearing negatively impacted your ability to meaningfully engage with the board.”
The appeal division also said the parole board’s decision did not adequately explain why Lord presented a higher risk on full parole compared to his current day-parole arrangement, in which he is allowed 14 days in the community and then required to report to a community residential facility for two days.
As a result, the appeal division has ordered a new review into the parole board’s decision, allowing Lord a second chance at full parole.
In 1992, Lord was found guilty for his role in the Oct. 5, 1990, first-degree murder of Doris Leatherbarrow, 69, and Sharon Huenemann, 47.
The women were found dead in Leatherbarrow’s Tsawwassen home, having been struck in the head and stabbed in the throat repeatedly.
Lord was sentenced to life in prison with no parole eligibility for 10 years. He had appealed his conviction and sentence but both appeals were dismissed. Lord has maintained his innocence over the past 30 years.
