Appeal launched by triple murderer Derek Saretzky

CALGARY – An appeal has been launched by 24-year-old Derek Saretzky, on both his conviction and sentence for the murders of 69-year-old Hanne Meketech, 27-year-old Terry Blanchette and his two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette.

Calgary based lawyer, Balfour Der, confirmed to Lethbridge News Now that he filed the appeal on behalf of Saretzky on Thursday (Sept. 7), but noted that he has not yet been formally retained.

“There are grounds of appeal that relate to the conviction itself, and in particular, whether the statements he made to the police, his confession, was properly taken by the police. In other words, whether it was properly admissible in court or not,” stated Der, adding that they are also arguing against the use of similar-fact evidence by the Crown.

As for the appeal of the sentence, Der says the 75-year parole ineligibility handed to Saretzky far too high.

“We’re saying that the criminal code provision that allows for the parole ineligibility periods to be made consecutive, amounts to cruel and unusual punishment in this case, and is therefore a breach of the accused’s charter rights,” he explained.

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“People have the right to an appeal, to make sure that their conviction was right in law,” Der continued. “It’s been a process of our criminal justice system, basically forever… the system is not infallible, mistakes can be made, errors can be made, and that’s the purpose of having a court of appeal, is to be able to double-check on those things, to make sure that indeed there were no errors made.

“You have to understand that this is – from Mr. Saretzky’s point of view – an extremely important matter for him, because he’s facing potentially the rest of his life in a jail cell.”

Saretzky’s conviction and sentence

Saretzky was convicted on June 28, with the jury taking just over three hours to find him guilty on three counts of first degree murder and one count of committing an indignity to human remains.

He received an automatic life-sentence, and on Aug. 9, Justice William Tilleman agreed with recommendations from the Crown and jury, and imposed the parole ineligibility of 75-years, along with five years – to run concurrently – for the indignity to the body of Hailey.

“According to defence counsel, Mr. Saretzky’s age – 22 at the time of the murders, and now 24 – is a relevant consideration, to the extent that sentencing such a young person to a life in prison would amount to a crushing sentence,” stated Tilleman, while reading out his decision. “In these extreme circumstances, there is overwhelming evidence that Mr. Saretzky is a lethal harm to his community.

“Mr. Saretzky had days and days to think about what he had done, and to abandon his plans of murder. He did not,” added Tilleman. “Instead, he used what he learned… to successfully engage in other vicious acts of murder.”

Confession videos (WARNING: Graphic details)

A major part of the Crown’s case centred around two videotaped confessions Saretzky made to police, along with a re-enactment he did, in which he took officers to the scene where he killed Hailey, and described how he took her life and cannibalised her.

In the first video, Staff Sgt. Mike McCauley asked Saretzky if the little girl was still alive. He responded by saying, “She’s not alive,” then broke down and added, “The devil made me turn her into ashes.”

He told McCauley that after entering the Blanchette home and killing Terry in his bed, he drove Hailey out to a campsite, where he started to build a fire. When it was big enough, he says he choked her, removed her head and limbs, and turned to cannibalism.

In the second video – focussed on the murder of Hanne – Saretzky told McCauley that he targeted the senior because he didn’t think anybody cared about her.

When asked if it had been a practice kill to prepare him for the murder of Terry and Hailey, Saretzky replied, “Yeah, I guess.”