No defence witnesses in trial of man accused in deaths at Alberta work camp

GRANDE PRAIRIE, Alta. — The defence is not calling any witnesses in the trial of a camp cook accused of killing two people at a northern Alberta work site.

Daniel Goodridge has pleaded not guilty due to a mental disorder to charges of first-degree murder, assault with a weapon and interfering with human remains.

Final arguments from the Crown and defence are to be heard on Tuesday in Grande Prairie Court of Queen’s Bench.

In an agreed statement of facts entered in court, Goodridge admits to the slayings as well as to terrorizing others who woke in the middle of the night to screams at the Canada North oilfield camp near Fox Creek in June 2015.

Police officers found the bodies of David Derksen, who was 37, from La Crete, Alta., and 50-year-old Hally Dubois of Red Deer, Alta.

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Psychiatrist Lenka Zedkova testified that Goodridge’s mental state led him to believe his co-workers wanted to assault him.

She said he had been hearing voices and thought he needed to kill everyone to make them stop.

Court heard that Goodridge, 31, stabbed Derksen more than 70 times, cut off parts of his body and set him on fire.

Some workers hid in their rooms while others fled into the bush as Goodridge ran around the remote property with a large knife.

He also threw rocks at vehicles and set fires in some buildings.

When RCMP arrived, Goodridge refused to drop the knife and lunged at an officer. Mounties fired 12 shots, wounding him.

(CJXX, The Canadian Press)

The Canadian Press

Note to readers: This is a corrected story. A previous version said Derksen was running around the property.