Accused in Edmonton Corn Maze killing found not criminally responsible in previous cases
A man charged with second-degree murder in the killing of another man at the Edmonton Corn Maze this week has a history of schizophrenia, substance abuse and violence, according to documents from the Criminal Code Review Board.
RCMP responded to a report of a stabbing around 7 p.m. Tuesday at the attraction just west of Edmonton.
They found Joseph Farnsworth, 53, dead inside the maze.
Officers arrested Michael George Ferzli, 41, at the scene and charged him with second-degree murder.
According to a 2020 decision from the Alberta Court of Appeal, Ferzli was charged with aggravated assault against his brother in 2008 and was found not criminally responsible because of mental disorder.
That incident marked the start of his schizophrenia and psychotic symptoms manifesting, the appeal court decision said.
Ferzli received treatment and was granted an absolute discharge from the Alberta Review Board in 2013.
The Alberta Review Board, now called the Criminal Code Review Board, is an independent tribunal that reviews dispositions for accused people who have been found to be not criminally responsible or unfit to stand trial. The board determines whether the person should be detained, discharged or discharged with conditions.
According to the 2020 decision from the Alberta Court of Appeal, Ferzli was charged with assault and assault causing bodily harm in 2018 after he accosted an elderly patient and a security officer in the emergency department of an Edmonton hospital. He was detained at Alberta Hospital Edmonton, a psychiatric hospital.
He was found not criminally responsible for those charges in 2019.
The Criminal Code Review Board’s most recent disposition for Ferzli, in October 2023, said he had schizophrenia, anxiety disorder and a history of substance abuse and violence.
The disposition said he had experienced chronic anxiety and had an acute deterioration in his mental state with manic-type symptoms, bordering on psychosis. He was moved to Alberta Hospital voluntarily for a medication review.
The treatment team said at the October hearing that Ferzli would be returning to his group home once he was stable.
The board ordered Ferzli be discharged, subject to conditions, including keeping the peace and not owning, possessing or using a weapon.
The board found that he remained “a significant threat to the safety of the public,” were he to be granted an absolute discharge, and that he was a “high risk for future violence and serious physical harm.”
Previous dispositions said Ferzli had gone through periods of being successful in the community but his mental state could deteriorate very quickly, especially if he was stressed. He sometimes reported auditory and visual hallucinatory experiences.
According to the dispositions, Ferzli had made significant progress with his addiction over the years and maintained close relationships with family.
The Edmonton Corn Maze closed on Wednesday and told CBC News by text message that it would reopen Friday.
Ferzli is in custody. He is next scheduled to appear in court in Stony Plain on Sept. 4.
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