After recent arrest, review board mulls fate of former Kitchener man who killed wife, blew up home
The Ontario Review Board is expected to decide the fate of a former Kitchener, Ont., man who killed his wife and blew up their home in 2018 after he was arrested in April for allegedly harassing a woman he met while speed dating.
In 2023, Udo Haan, 65, was found not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan.
Emergency crews were called to a home on Sprucedale Crescent in Kitchener just after 8 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2018. They found the body of 58-year-old Edra Haan in the back yard of the home. Udo Haan was critically injured and airlifted to a Hamilton hospital.
The Kitchener court heard Udo Haan suffered from major depressive disorder with psychotic features, or delusional disorder, when he killed his wife. An agreed statement of facts noted the couple, who had been married for 40 years, were in the process of separating in the summer of 2018.
He has spent time at the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in St. Thomas and since September 2024, has been allowed to live in an apartment in the town.
The Ontario Review Board reviews dispositions for people who are found not criminally responsible for their crimes or who are found to be unfit to stand trial.
A report to the review board by the forensic hospital, operated by St. Joseph's Health Care, said he takes lithium, used for patients with bipolar disorder as a mood stabilizer, and the anti-psychotic medication Seroquel. His medication was reduced in December 2024 and again in February 2025 at his request because Haan had expressed concerns the lithium was having on his thyroid.
The report said Haan had told his care team in late March of this year about meeting a woman in his building during a speed dating event. He said he understood "she needed a friend, not a boyfriend" and he wanted to help her out. The woman was a recent immigrant from India who did not have family living nearby, had few friends and she struggled with depression.
When outreach teams attempted to call him twice on April 10, he did not answer his phone. They went to visit Haan for a scheduled appointment on April 16, but he was not home.
On April 18, he was arrested after the woman from his building alleged Haan was harassing her.
"When police arrived at his apartment, they found him drinking beer and smoking joints of cannabis," the report said, noting Haan has been ordered to abstain from both drugs and alcohol.
He was arrested and returned to the hospital where he was observed experiencing bipolar symptoms, "likely primarily triggered by sub-optimal treatment and driven by cannabis and alcohol use" as well as stress.
The report details erratic behaviour by Haan over the next week, including yelling at staff, getting upset about clothing, saying he could get weapons into the hospital if he wanted to and indicating he had a "hot date" on the weekend so he could not stay in the hospital.
On April 24, it was determined Haan was "incapable of making treatment decisions with respect to his bipolar condition."
Haan also expressed paranoid thoughts and claimed someone had threatened to kill him in a message on Facebook, although the report noted no one from the outreach team has seen the post to verify its existence.
He also claimed he had hired a private investigator to follow the woman from his building and "discount her story." This behaviour was similar to when Haan had his wife followed by a private investigator before her death because he was convinced she was having an affair.
Haan remains in the hospital while the Ontario Review Board determines next steps. He has been ordered not to contact the woman from his building and refrain from surveilling her by any means.
A decision from the June 10 hearing is expected within a week, and the reasons will be available within four weeks, the review board says.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Man found guilty in arson series ordered by Edmonton landlord
Social Sharing A man accused in a series of north-central Edmonton arsons is guilty of starting fires that damaged or destroyed several homes in 2020 and 2021, a judge ruled Thursday. Darcy Willier was found guilty of six of the 10 arson charges he faced, including one that was downgraded to a lesser charge. He's also guilty of six weapons charges related to a sawed-off rifle and ammunition he was caught with when he was arrested in 2022. In his decision, Court of King's Bench Justice Nathan Whitling determined Willier's motive was his work for notorious Edmonton landlord Abdullah Shah, also known as Carmen Pervez. Willier burned down some of the properties himself, or sent associates to set fires, as part of a scheme overseen by Shah. Shah was shot and killed outside his south Edmonton home in March 2022. A suspect has yet to be identified in his death. Willier was arrested and charged in the arson case about three months after the shooting. Whitling found that statements Willier made to undercover police officers under an investigation dubbed "Project Ignis" show Shah was in a dispute with another local property owner, Gina Cai. The court heard evidence about statements Willier made during the seven-month undercover operation. In a recorded conversation, one of the undercover officers asks Willier whether he set a particular fire. "No, I did it. Turn and burn baby, turn and burn," Willier responded. Burning homes Cai owned, the judge found, was an effort by Shah intended to intimidate her and drive down property prices. Willier described the scheme to the undercover officers and pointed out properties he claimed to have burned while they drove him around north Edmonton neighbourhoods. Willier also expressed willingness to continue starting fires as a means to profit on property flips. "Cai was a motivated seller because her properties kept burning down," Whitling said. "The accused could then stop burning them down … allowing them to be sold at a higher price." Homes up in flames Two of the arsons in which Willier was found guilty targeted homes owned by Cai. One of those fires, which destroyed a home under construction at 115th Avenue and 82nd Street, also spread to the neighbouring homes on either side. Three people were in one of the houses and had to flee, and both adjacent properties were damaged to the point that they had to be demolished. A separate fire caused an explosion at a three-storey apartment owned by an alleged associate of Shah, where seven people were living at the time, but all managed to escape safely. Willier told the undercover officers he "blew this one straight up gone." He said a friend of his was responsible for carrying out the arson, but Willier also wanted to blow up "rats" that he claimed lived there. Another arson at a different home was due to "hood politicking," Willier told undercover officers, saying Shah had an issue with the man who owned it. Willier was found not guilty in four arsons where the judge said there was inadequate evidence to prove Willier was behind the blazes, or his statements about his involvement were too vague to meaningfully implicate him. 'Project Ignis' evidence Defence lawyers Yodit Kidane and Sam Alzaman challenged the evidence collected by undercover officers, which involved a "Mr. Big" scheme where officers recruit a suspect into a fictitious criminal organization. In this case, the officer who had the most contact with Willier presented himself as a criminal making money through prostitution and altering vehicle identification numbers on stolen cars. He told Willier he wanted to "build his network" in Edmonton and could hire him to do jobs for him. Whitling ruled that the evidence the police collected was admissible. He said in a decision last month that some of the typical concerns with a Mr. Big operation, such as police preying on a target's vulnerabilities or inducing them into giving an unreliable confession, are absent in this case. "The undercover officers' contacts with the accused were relatively few. Although a friendly relationship had been formed, there was no relationship of integration or dependence," Whitling said. "The accused was street smart and not vulnerable. No threats were made and no violence occurred." Willier will be sentenced at a later date.
CBC
an hour ago
- CBC
Burnaby, B.C.'s Pinoy Festival aims to 'turn grief into grace' following Vancouver festival tragedy
"We rise." That's the theme of this year's Pinoy Festival, a celebration of Filipino culture happening on the heels of what some have described as one of the darkest days in Vancouver's history. The celebration comes seven weeks after a car rammed into a group of people at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in East Vancouver, a day meant to mark "the enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan — the collective community effort," organizers said. Eleven people were killed, many more were injured and the Filipino community in B.C. and abroad was left in mourning. "Our community feels the weight of sorrow, but we also feel the warmth of compassion, the power of unity and the call to come together with purpose," the Pinoy Festival website reads. "Let's turn grief into grace, and pain into purpose." The annual festival is happening on Saturday at Swangard Stadium in Burnaby, B.C., and is meant to highlight the vibrant Filipino culture in British Columbia. The festival will kick off with a Zumba class, featuring Pinoy music. Following the morning workout, a parade of Filipino and other immigrant groups will make its way through the venue, highlighting the diversity of the region. While the Pinoy Festival has been an important fixture in the community since it began in 2023, Burnaby city councillor Maita Santiago said the celebration is now more important than ever, as the collective grief from Lapu-Lapu Day persists. "We need festivals like this to show that the world didn't end, although it might feel like it," she said. "I think it's even more important to show that as a Filipino community, as a community of British Columbians, that we're committed to rise, that we're committed to find, where we're able, joy." Festival safety Festival security came into question in the wake of the Vancouver tragedy, but Santiago said the Pinoy Festival has been preparing for the past year, ensuring a safe day for all. She noted the venue for the Pinoy Festival is different from other festivals — on stadium grounds rather than on the street. Security guards will be stationed at all entrance gates, traffic control will be in place to manage congestion and four first aid booths will be located throughout the grounds. Burnaby RCMP officers will also be on site. For those unsure about attending as they process what happened in April, Santiago said there will be many community booths at the vendor market that can offer support, and said there will be a quiet space for anyone who needs it. And for those looking to connect with community to help them grieve, Santiago said there's no better place to be. "With all the things that are at the festival, I'm sure there'll be something for most folks there, in terms of a community," she said. She said she can't wait to gather with loved ones at Swangard Stadium this weekend. "It's always been a great event, and I know lots and lots of folks have been working hard to make it happen." The thing Santiago is most looking forward to: halo-halo, a shaved ice dessert with milk, fruits and other sweet ingredients. "A festival wouldn't be complete without having a halo-halo," she said.
CTV News
an hour ago
- CTV News
Expect an increased police presence in parks after latest attack
Cell phone video circulating on social media shows a man bleeding on the ground following a brutal assault in Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia, Ont., on Mon., May 26, 2025. Two weeks ago, a violent assault at Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia sparked questions about public safety. On Thursday, the region's Ontario Provincial Police board met to find some solutions to those concerns. A violent assault of a young man, now known to be Jordan Duffy, 23, by a group at Couchiching Beach Park set off the maelstrom of outrage in the media and social media. Duffy suffered serious injuries after he attempted to break up an earlier argument between several teenage girls. He was severely beaten and hit in the head with a glass container. The city recognized Duffy and another man, Chris Landra – who had stepped in to help Duffy – for their bravery on that day with an Orillia certificate of bravery. 'I was always raised like, if something unfair is happening, step in, right? I saw the three girls picking on the one girl, I knew the one girl, to me it was very unfair,' Duffy said. Orillia city councillors want to ensure it never happens again. 'I think we really have to work hard to make our community and our parks safe for our children and our grandchildren,' said Counc. Ralph Cipolla. Counc. Cipolla is the chairperson of the Couchiching OPP detachment board that had gathered to discuss how to make Orillia's public spaces safe. Police are looking to increase their foot, bike and cruiser patrols through parks in Orillia, Ramara, Oro-Medonte and Severn townships. 'The incidents are increasing in our parks because some of the youths don't have anywhere else to go,' Cipolla said. The board also discussed the possibility of implementing 24/7 video surveillance cameras as another measure should budgets allow. But increasing police visibility is a step Orillia has already taken. 'Certainly, we've increased the OPP foot patrols in the park and the downtown as a result, the county has also added resources,' said Mayor Don McIsaac. Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia Couchiching Beach Park in Orillia, Ont., on Wed., May 28, 2025. (CTV News/Rob Cooper) McIsaac says the city is looking into other measures - such as issuing trespassing orders against the individuals involved. Yet McIsaac says the court process must play out for several suspects who now facing criminal charges. 'It's regrettable, it's unfortunate, it should never happen,' McIsaac said of the attack. Cipolla said the board meeting was a step in the right direction. 'It's a start for us to be more careful, more involved and get the police more involved in our public spaces,' Cipolla said.
