Éric Tremblay
Le Journal Saint-François
Translated by Rachel Patenaude
Convicted of the second-degree murder in 2005 of Shanna Poissant of Hemmingford, Kurt Lauder was granted full parole late last month. CBC recently reported that the decision made on Dec. 22 by the Parole Board of Canada affirms that Lauder, now 37, has a low risk of re-offending and a high potential for rehabilitation.
In the summer of 2005 Lauder, who was known to local wrestling federations as Kurt Lauderdale, beat 16-year-old Poissant to death with an iron bar in his Hemmingford home. He then concealed her body in a wooded area nearby, where it was found two weeks later.
He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility for parole for 15 years. As per the conditions of his release, Lauder is not to consume drugs or alcohol, not to contact Poissant’s family, and must report any friendships or romantic relationships with women to his parole officer.
Lauder, who changed his name to Viktor Alexander Vaderstrom, has resided in a halfway house since January 2020 and, according to documents presented to the Commission, his behaviour has been good. The Commission’s report states he has found a part-time job and plans to live with his mother, Suzanne Grosser. In 2007 Grosser was sentenced to five months in prison for helping her son clean up the crime scene and destroying evidence.