Fabian Nick DeLorme, 44, was beaten with golf clubs on September 5th, 2008 and died two days later.
Brian James Cardinal, 38, and Allen Phillip Cardinal, 54, were charged with aggravated assault. Police intially said the charges could be upgraded at a later time.
latest update
Police have concluded their investigation of a suspicious death that was once considered Edmonton's 19th homicide of 2008 after homicide detectives worked the case of a homeless man who was beaten with golf clubs and later died in hospital.
At about 12:20 a.m. September 5th, 2008 a 44-year-old man was assaulted in front of the Marian Centre at 10528 98 Street by three men armed with golf clubs. Witnesses said the men were kicking the man and hitting him with the clubs.
The man was taken to hospital with what were initially believed to be non-life threatening injuries that included a broken jaw, missing teeth and bruises all over his body.
Police soon arrested a man thought to be involved in the beating after he was caught "red handed" in the act of cleaning the victim's blood from his hands near the scene.
The beating victim, identified as Fabian Nick DeLorme, died in hospital two days later. An autopsy failed to determine an exact cause of death.
Toxicology tests were requested but results could take several months before being completed. In the meantime, detectives continued to characterise the death as suspicious.
Brian James Cardinal, 38, and Allen Phillip Cardinal, 54, both of no fixed address, were charged with aggravated assault. Police said the charges may be upgraded at a later time. It's not known if the men are related.
Investigators also said that there may have been others involved in the assault.
"The investigation is still ongoing," a police spokesman said.
Charges not upgraded
On March 4th, 2009 it was announced that police would not be pursuing homicide charges against the two men charged with Delorme's beating.
A final set of post-mortem tests came back inconclusive in late February.
"The medical examiner was unable to scientifically determine the cause of death," a spokesman said. "There will be no changes to the charges already laid."
Before charges can be laid in major cases, approval must first be received from the office of the Crown prosecutor. The Crown reviews the merit of evidence collected and determines if charges are warranted and that there is a likelihood of conviction. Police are then authorised to lay the charges.
Without a definitive cause of death, the charges of aggravated assault were the most serious that police could lay in connection with DeLorme's death.
The two men have yet to enter their pleas and were expected back in court on March 10th, 2009.
Shortly after the assault, the Edmonton Journal spoke with Crystal Daniels, DeLorme's cousin. She described what Fabian told her of the attack as he was recovering in hospital with what seemed to be only a broken jaw – read more »
DeLorme was sharing a few drinks near 98th Street off 106th Avenue when five people attacked him.
"As soon as he went down, he said they all attacked him," Daniels related. "They were supposed to be his friends.
"He had a fractured jaw and he needed reconstructive surgery for it. He had stab wounds on his arm, bruises here and there on his body."
The man's condition seemed to be improving when Daniels and her mother last visited. When he died, it came as a shock, Crystal said.
"He wasn't homeless. He had a home to go to," she added. "He chose to stay on the streets. I'm not sure why."
Daniels described the father of two teenagers, originally from St. Paul, as a man with a sense of humour.
"He really, really loved his family," she said.
"He was outgoing. He loved to joke around, make the best of everything." Despite his broken jaw, he was still joking – "even though he couldn't talk very well."
DeLorme, who was now reported to be 45 years old, spent summer nights in the Boyle Street neighbourhood, a gathering point for many of the city's homeless.
A funeral took place in St. Paul.
The Marian Centre, a homeless drop-in centre and chapel, was closed for renovations at the time of DeLorme's death – read more »
The area immediately north of downtown, between 97th Street and 101st Street, is home to the Hope Mission and the George Spady Centre.
It is also home to the down-and-out who sleep behind buildings and along fences, using flattened cardboard to serve as mattresses or makeshift shelters.
It was in just such a setting that DeLorme was attacked.
The man was first identified to media by street regulars. When his family learned of his death, they were surprised and upset by the news.
Karen Bruno, team leader of outreach services at Boyle Street Community Services, knew the man.
"It's a surprise. He didn't live a high, high-risk lifestyle that would result in that kind of violence towards him," Bruno said.
DeLorme's buddies were also puzzled by his death.
"He was a nice, quiet guy. He's not the kind of guy who would go looking for trouble. He was friends with everybody and he treated his friends good," Andy Bernard told the Edmonton Sun.
"I just don't understand how that could have happened."
The seemingly unwrranted attack on the homeless man was more than typical, as Edmonton print media found out when covering the story.
"It's happening every day, almost. I've heard of people getting beaten just for a bottle, for half a bottle. Just for something silly and that's it," Rob Hodgson, an inner-city street person, told the Sun.
The man said he had been assaulted twice in the past five years – both times for the beer he was packing.
"I got stitches in my chin. I got black eyes. Like I got pretty beat just over four bottles – it's only 20 bucks."
Bernard said the assaults made living on the street all the more scarier.
"It happens all the time. When people are sleeping, people come along, usually young thugs, and beat them just for the hell of it, just for kicks," he said.
Karen Bruno concurred with the man.
"It happens more than people may think. It happens quite often, actually, that people come in with bruises and broken bones," she said.
"The issue is so great that people are becoming so desensitized and they're no longer seeing these people as humans anymore."
The community worker's impression was backed by an Edmonton Sun online poll that indicated ambivalence among those voting.
The one-day voluntary poll allowed only one response per computer.
Bruno also commented on the injuries she sees and noted the increased use of machetes.
“They're missing fingers or getting skin grafts. It's quite common.”
The large blades are the result of escalation, according to Bruno. One person has a steak knife so the next person has to have a machete, she said.
Because victims instinctively put their hands up to fend off an attack they often end up with a chopped-off finger. The easily-hidden blades are also readily available, Bruno added.
The increased use of knives, bats and machetes among inner-city regulars has also been observed by police.
“Things have escalated out on the streets and there are more people on the streets, so they feel that's their form of protection. We don't see fist to fist as much any more – very rarely,” Const. Nicole Chapdelaine told the Sun.
“We've seen some ridiculous swords that people are carrying,” said the community liaison officer, noting street people are arming themselves simply because they're scared ... which leads to more violent attacks.
“They're a very vulnerable group of people just because they are homeless and sleep out in the open so anyone at any time can access them,” Chapdelaine said.
When asked for the reasons behind the fights, the officer said the reasons were complex and often have to do with addictions, mental disorders ... and folks simply protecting what little turf they have.
And sometimes groups of people attack the homeless for no reason at all, such as being initiated into a gang or kids who simply think it would be fun.
“It's kids who are bored doing something that we would look at and say that's absolutely not right,” Chapdelaine said.
Pedro Schulz, a homeless advocate, told the Sun he figures many of the assaults relate to substance abuse.
"When you are addicted then you are willing to do nearly anything to get your addiction filled. When you're poor, the only way to get it sometimes is to beat someone up to get anything," Schulz said.
In a slight twist of irony, the issue of life on Edmonton's street was the subject of several interviews Fabian DeLorme held with the Edmonton Sun.
In 1998, he told the paper he had been homeless for a year after splitting up with his wife. Without a home, he praised the Boyle Street Co-op for its annual Christmas supper.
"It's like a big family gathering. If it wasn't for this place I wouldn't have had a Christmas," he said at the time.
Eight years later, he told the Sun the Alberta government had to do more to help the homeless.
"Look around, you know. There's people sleeping in the grass. There should be someplace for homeless people at least to go," DeLorme said.
DeLorme's death marked the second time in 2008 that Edmonton homicide detectives had to put a case on the pending list – read more »
On June 29th, 2008 50-year-old Andrew Rademacher was discovered lying in a pool of blood near an abandoned home near 95th Street and 107th A Avenue. He was suffering from serious wounds and was taken to hospital.
Rademacher remained in critical condition until the morning of July 4th when he succumbed to his injuries.
An autopsy was conducted but further testing is required to determine Rademacher's exact cause of death.
"We still need to determine if he died as a result of his injuries," a police spokesman explained at the time.
Rademacher's common-law wife, 40-year-old Julie Starr, was charged with aggravated assault in connection with the matter.
In the Department of Redundancy Department, CBC Edmonton felt it necessary to help identify a street sign with an on-screen graphic when covering the story – read more »
"What was the point?" a CBC cameraman no doubt thought.
