Though he admitted to stabbing his victim 58 times, a judge found a Red Deer man not criminally responsible by reason of a mental disorder.
Justice Adam Germain ruled that Jordan Koizumi, 27, was not criminally responsible for the death of Tina-Marie Pfeiffer on Friday in Red Deer Court of Queen’s Bench.
Koizumi will now go before the Alberta Review Board within the next 45 days and his treatment will be determined. Germain also ordered Koizumi be remanded into the custody at a secure psychiatric facility until the review.
The ruling comes after a weeklong trial where Koizumi was accused of second-degree murder.
The finding of not criminally responsible by reason of mental disorder is a rare occurrence, Germain said.
Pointing to his own experience, Germain said he has had three cases that concluded with this outcome in his 35 years as a lawyer and 15 years as a judge.
The action of killing Pfeiffer was never in question at the trial, as Koizumi admitted to stabbing his roommate in a police interview.
On Oct. 27, 2016, Pfeiffer was found dead in her bedroom of her West Park home, having bled to death after suffering 58 stab wounds to her right arm, head and torso.
Despite the not criminally responsible finding, Germain allowed the reading of victim impact statements from Pfeiffer’s family. He said they were in the public and the community’s interest. He also ordered them sealed and included in the documents the Crown will provide the review board.
Defence counsel Patrick Edgerton said despite his personal reticence, Koizumi felt it was important they were read.
Eva Reister, Tina-Marie’s sister, read hers while Christian Reister read the statement from Richard Pfeiffer, Tina-Marie’s son.
“All I can think about is the terror and pain she was in as she was murdered,” said Eva, when she tries to remember her sister.
Koizumi sat in the prisoner’s box with his head down as he listened to the two victim impact statements.
Throughout the trial, Koizumi’s lengthy history of mental illness was the central issue. He was in and out of hospitals and treatment programs dating back to 2009. He was first diagnosed as schizophrenic in 2013. He was prescribed as an anti-psychotic, injected on a 28-day cycle.
But by 2015, he had stopped taking his medication.
On the night of the attack, Koizumi had gone to the Red Deer Regional Hospital Centre saying he had been kicked out of his home and needed a bed for the night. He also said he could communicate with Pfeiffer via telepathy.
He left the hospital that evening and returned home, the stabbing occurred next.
Koizumi was examined by Dr. Yuri Metelitsa at the Peter Lougheed Centre. Metelitsa testified at trial that Koizumi was delusional during the attack and did not appreciate what he was doing or the repercussions.
mcrawford@reddeeradvocate.com
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