The man found not criminally responsible for the death of Deep River resident Sommer Boudreau could be eligible for “transitional living” in the community within a year.
The Ontario Review Board has ruled that 42-year-old Adam Rossi “remains a significant threat to the public” but may be permitted to live in “an approved supervised setting” once his medical team deems him ready.
A hearing into Rossi’s case was held April 30. The Board’s written decision was released at the end of June.
A portion of the complete statement reads in part:
“On the annual review, all parties agreed the evidence established that Mr. Rossi remained a significant threat to the safety of the public and that a detention order in the Integrated Forensic Program of the Royal Ottawa was necessary and appropriate. What was contentious between the parties was the hospital’s recommendation for the privilege of living in the community in approved, 8-hour supervised, accommodation. While Mr. Rossi agreed with the hospital, counsel for the Attorney General argued that any community living ought to be restricted to accommodation with 24-hour supervision.”
Rossi was originally charged with second-degree murder and indignity to a body following a police investigation into Boudreau’s death in early December 2022.
During the trial, both Crown Attorney James Bocking and Superior Court Justice Ian Carter accepted the opinion of expert witness Dr. Neil de Laplante, a forensic psychiatrist with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, who testified that Rossi was experiencing an episode of “mania with psychosis” at the time of the incident on December 10, 2022.
The court ruled Rossi was not criminally responsible for his actions under Section 16 of the Criminal Code of Canada.
Rossi has remained in custody since his arrest—first in jail, then at the forensic assessment unit at the Royal Ottawa.
Now under the jurisdiction of the Ontario Review Board, Rossi will be subject to annual hearings until the Board determines he no longer poses a significant risk to public safety.
(Richard Evans)