Day parole extended for man convicted in Tsawwassen double homicide

SANDOR GYARMATI sgyarmati@delta-optimist com

A man convicted in a gruesome double murder in Tsawwassen over three decades ago has been granted further day parole for another six-month period.

In its decision last month, the Parole Board of Canada, however, did not grant full parole to Derek Lord.

Lord and friend David Muir were hired by Darren Huenemann to kill Huenemann’s mother and grandmother, Sharon Huenemann and Doris Leatherbarrow, so Huenemann could get a multi-million dollar inheritance

The three teens lived in Saanich at the time of the murder and at trial the prosecution said that on Oct 5, 1990, Huenemann and his girlfriend dropped Lord and Muir off at the ferry terminal

The pair went to Leatherbarrow’s Tsawwassen home and, after being invited in for dinner, bludgeoned and stabbed the women to death. The killers attempted to make the crime scene appear as a robbery

All three were convicted in 1992. Lord and Muir were both sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years. Huenemann received a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

After his conviction, Muir, who pleaded not guilty at trial, admitted his role in the murders and has been out on parole for years. He was granted day parole in April 2002 and full parole a year later.

Huenemann, who now goes by Darren Gowen, earlier this year was granted a six-month extension of his day parole. He was first granted sixmonth day parole in August 2022

The board granted Lord day parole in March 2020 and that has been continued at six-month intervals

Lord continues to claim he is innocent.

Special conditions continue, including Lord, now 50, having no contact with the victims’ families and not travelling to the Lower Mainland The board authorized extended leave privileges of 14 days at home and two days at a community residential facility

The parole board noted that according to Lord’s most recent psychological risk assessment, his risk estimate for future violence is low in the short term (six months) and moderate over the longer term.

Reports indicate he made gains from interventions however, his refusal to take responsibility for the offences remains an outstanding issue.

“In making a decision in your case, the serious and violent nature of your offences remain a significant concern The board notes no alternate explanation has been developed in the 30 years since the murder of the victims and your appeals have been denied. The board remains highly aware that this is a gap that continues to point to your lack of understanding of the thoughts and feelings that led to your involvement in a double murder The board also notes other similar tendencies including a fascination with knives, bullying behaviour and threats of violence that indicate similar concerning patterns of violence,” the board also noted

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