Court documents revealed that the older brother “had been researching murder on YouTube” and later told police he experienced an uncontrollable urge linked to voices he sometimes hears.
The younger sibling suffered life-threatening injuries to his brain, heart, and chest and was airlifted to a children’s hospital in Edmonton. The case has sparked renewed attention to youth mental health and criminal responsibility under Canada’s Youth Criminal Justice Act.
The court was told that on August 27, 2025, the two boys were alone at home while their father was out running errands.
According to the agreed statement of facts, the older brother “became enraged” with his younger sibling and felt a compelling urge to harm him. The seven-year-old fled to a bedroom and hid under blankets on the bed, while the 12-year-old retrieved a kitchen knife and followed him, stabbing him approximately nine times as the younger boy cried out in pain.
After the attack, the older boy left the house and waited outside. When their father returned from the store, the boy told him that his brother “was dead inside the house.”
Police also found that the boy had been “researching murder on YouTube prior to the attack,” the statement of facts added.The 12-year-old will be sentenced under an Intensive Rehabilitative Custody and Supervision order, a measure reserved for young offenders with significant mental health challenges. This approach ensures he receives both treatment and structured supervision while in custody. The full details of the order will be presented at a sentencing hearing set for February.
