The man accused of killing a Salmon Arm, B.C., church elder during a Sunday service has been found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder.
Matrix Gathergood was charged with murder and aggravated assault in connection with the April 2019 shooting at the Salmon Arm Church of Christ.
Gordon Parmenter, a 78-year-old church elder and Gathergood’s former neighbour, was killed in the shooting. Fellow parishioner Paul Derkach was shot in the leg, but survived.
At Gathergood’s one-day trial, a psychiatrist testified that Gathergood had a paranoid perception of the world and believed, irrationally, that Parmenter, the victim, was a mortal danger to him.
In finding Gathergood not criminally responsible, the justice said Gathergood was suffering from schizophrenia at the time of the shooting and was experiencing serious psychotic symptoms.
“At the time of the offences, Mr. Gathergood was not capable of knowing his actions were morally wrong as a result of his mental disorder,” the justice concluded.
The justice also addressed the Derkach and Parmenter families, directly offering condolences.
“I can’t begin to know the suffering you’ve experienced as a result of what happened on that awful day. I can appreciate that this court process and my reasons today have been difficult,” she said to the victims’ families.
“I was tasked with making a legal decision today, which I’ve done. But I hope you know … I am very aware of the tragedy of your loss and the loss to the community.”
One of Parmenter’s former foster children said more than a year after Parmenter’s death, the loss is still hard.
However, Cole Wintringham believes the not-criminally-responsible outcome is what his former foster father would have wanted.
“That will result in the outcome that Gord was trying to get in the first part,” Wintringham said.
Wintringham said Parmenter had been trying to get more mental health treatment for Gathergood.
“He recognized that Matrix was, at the time, spiraling down, but something had to be done or something like this was going to happen,” Wintringham said.
Court heard Gathergood was in contact with an early psychosis intervention program and saw psychiatrists and other medical professionals prior to the shooting.
The not criminally responsible verdict means Gathergood will remain at a forensic psychiatric hospital for the time being.