| Conclusion
The Brentwood Five massacre was a heart-rending attack that attracted the attention of Canadians from across the country. Canadian True Crime’s podcast on the massacre broadcasts the details on the mental health of the perpetrator, Matthew de Grood, and the facts surrounding his trial and annual appeals. De Grood, who was found to be not criminally responsible and plead not guilty to five counts of first-degree murder, faces the prospect of being granted an absolute discharge without a criminal record. However, de Grood could become a threat in society if he does not regularly take his medication and could experience a relapse of delusions and hallucinations. De Grood’s denial of victim injury and lack of empathy contribute to the feasibility of him experiencing symptoms of unmanaged psychosis and could develop problems in the nearby future. With the example of Vince Li, Grood receiving more freedoms and having appeals annually, are exhausting for the families of the victims as the judicial system does not take their contributions into account. The podcast exhibits sufficient information on the different viewpoints of de Grood’s case and focuses on events prior to the massacre and after, with an update on the case in 2019. Overall, the information within the podcast and its comparison to course content, has structured my opinion on why Matthew de Grood should not be eligible for an absolute discharge perpetually. Although de Grood had no prior record of mental health issues before the attack, he committed a heinous homicide that took the lives of five young university students that had bright futures awaiting them.
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