Derek Saretzky and victims Hanne Meketech, Terry Blanchette, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette

By Lara Fominoff with files from LNN

Convicted triple murderer Derek Saretzky’s appeal heard in Calgary

Feb 10, 2020 | 1:08 PM

CALGARY, AB – An appeal launched by convicted triple murderer Derek Saretzky back in Sept. 2017 is expected to be heard Monday (Feb. 10) by a panel of three judges in Alberta’s highest court.

The appeal is related to Saretzky’s conviction for the murders of 69-year-old Hanne Meketech, 27-year-old Terry Blanchette, and his two-year-old daughter, Hailey Dunbar-Blanchette.

Saretzky’s defense lawyer Balfour Der told LNN in 2017 that the appeal was based on statements Saretzky made to the police and whether his confession was properly taken by the police. In other words, whether it was properly admissible in court or not. Der also told LNN that the 75-year parole ineligibility handed to his client was far too high, calling it “cruel and unusual punishment.”

According to the CBC, Der is now hoping to have one conviction overturned, on the basis of a ‘power imbalance’ with police and the validity of Saretzky’s confession to police in the Meketech investigation. Saretzkey’s appeal of the Terry and Hailey’s murders has since been abandoned, while a request was made to substitute an acquittal for Meketech. Once those matters are dealt with, a sentencing appeal date could be set at a later time.

The appeal is NOT a new trial or a hearing with witnesses or a jury. Rather, it’s a review done by a higher court of the decision(s) made in the hope that it (they) may be reversed or changed.

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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.”