Dustin Ironquil, 23, in this undated, submitted photo.

By Alex McCuaig

Guilty Plea in 2018 homicide

Manslaughter plea in 2018 city homicide

Jun 29, 2020 | 11:59 AM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – There is no known motive in a gruesome and violent attack that left a 23-year-old city man dead from blunt-force trauma and multiple stab wounds in December 2018.

But there is now a guilty plea to manslaughter in the killing of Dustin Ironquil who died at the hands of his childhood friend on the night of Dec. 8, 2018.

Donald Jade Goodwill entered the plea to the lesser charge on Friday after originally being charged with second-degree murder.

IN THE COMMUNITY

Medicine Hat's Mustard Seed adding new shelter spaces at Alberta government's request

10h ago

HOLIDAYS

Medicine Hat Kiwanis hosting Christmas dinner, applications due Friday

16h ago

IN THE COMMUNITY

'Compassionate Friends' offer peer support for bereaved in Medicine Hat

Dec 11, 2024

Ironquil had offered his Mayfair Manor apartment to his down-on-his-luck friend until Goodwill was able to get back on his feet shortly before the homicide, according to an admission of facts.

During the evening of Dec. 8, the pair began drinking heavily and, for unknown reasons, Goodwill attacked his friend with a golf club as well as stabbing the father of a young child multiple times.

Sometime around 3 a.m. on Dec. 9, Goodwill woke up from blacking out after killing Ironquil and began to clean up the blood and hid the body in the dead man’s bedroom.

Goodwill then penned a letter to Ironquil’s roommate in the deadman’s name stating that he had gone home for the Christmas holidays.

The letter stated the roommate was welcome to the apartment’s amenities but, “My room is off limits.”

Goodwill then drove to Saskatchewan and disposed of a dufflebag with blood-soaked cleaning materials and a screwdriver near Swift Current.

On December 10, 2018, family of Ironquil attempted to ascertain where their loved one was by communicating with Goodwill to no avail.

Medicine Hat police were called on Dec. 11 and discovered Ironquil’s body in his apartment two days later.

Goodwill was arrested in Fort Qu’Appelle, Saskatchewan on the same day, Dec. 13, driving Ironquil’s car.

A sentencing date for Goodwill will be scheduled following the completion of a pre-sentence report.

This version corrects an earlier story stating Goodwill was arrested on Dec. 15, 2018. The man was charged on that date.