B.C. Review Board grants conditional discharge to man found not criminally responsible in deaths of three children

The British Columbia Review Board has granted a conditional discharge to a man who was found not criminally responsible for the deaths of his three children in Merritt, B.C.

Allen Schoenborn killed his three children in 2008. The children, aged five, eight and 10, died after being stabbed and suffocated. In 2010, a court ruled that Schoenborn was not criminally responsible for the killings because of a mental disorder.

According to decisions of the B.C. Review Board, Schoenborn must continue receiving psychiatric treatment while on conditional discharge. The board may also require him to reside at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Coquitlam if deemed necessary as part of his supervision and treatment plan.

In May 2021, Schoenborn legally changed his name to Ken John Johnson. The move prompted significant public criticism and led the B.C. government to introduce legislation restricting name changes for people convicted of, or found responsible for, serious violent offences.