A chilling history of violence has sealed Alvin Starblanket’s fate, at least for now. The 44-year-old, already serving a life sentence, has been denied full parole, a decision rooted in a recent outburst of brutality within prison walls.
Starblanket’s path to incarceration began with a shocking act of violence in 2002, while on statutory release. He preyed upon a priest, posing as a male prostitute before subjecting the man to a brutal assault, stealing his car and belongings. The priest later succumbed to his injuries, marking Starblanket’s first homicide.
Years later, in 2008, Starblanket pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in a case steeped in the dark world of Quebec’s biker gang wars. His victim: Aimé Simard, a former member of the Rockers, a support club for the Hells Angels Nomads.
Simard had made a dangerous choice – he became an informant, turning against the very organization he once served. He testified against Hells Angels members, revealing a history of his own involvement in horrific crimes, admitting to three murders and three attempted murders.
Simard’s testimony led to the acquittal of five Rockers accused of a rival drug dealer’s murder, but it also signed his own death warrant. A contract was placed on his life, orchestrated by the criminal network he betrayed.
While incarcerated at the Prince Albert Penitentiary in Saskatchewan, Simard was targeted. In 2003, Starblanket and another inmate unleashed a savage attack, stabbing him a staggering 187 times. Testimony revealed Starblanket had agreed to carry out the hit for $25,000.
The parole board’s decision highlights a deeply troubled past. Starblanket’s childhood was marred by trauma, a legacy of Canada’s residential school system and a cycle of abuse. He endured physical and sexual abuse, poverty, neglect, and the instability of foster care, repeatedly attempting to escape back to a home that offered no solace.
Despite acknowledging his difficult upbringing, the board focused on his continued dangerousness. Just this year, Starblanket brutally attacked an elderly, disabled inmate, repeatedly punching him and attempting to stomp on him, even defying guards’ attempts to intervene.
A search following the assault revealed a disturbing arsenal: a homemade stabbing weapon concealed in his pocket, and two additional weapons hidden in his cell. The incident occurred shortly after a psychological assessment deemed any form of release, even day parole, premature.
The Parole Board of Canada concluded that Starblanket continues to pose an “undue risk to society.” His criminal history, volatile institutional behavior, and lack of a viable release plan all contributed to the denial of full parole, leaving him to continue serving his life sentence.
