Calgary

Supreme Court dismisses appeals related to 2013 death of Calgary man

The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the appeals of two men convicted in the 2013 swarming death of Lukas Strasser-Hird.

Lukas Strasser-Hird, 18, was beaten and stabbed to death outside a Calgary nightclub

Assmar Shlah, right, along with Franz Cabrera, had their appeals dismissed Friday in connection with a second-degree murder conviction in the 2013 death of Lukas Strasser-Hird, left. (Facebook)

The Supreme Court of Canada has dismissed the appeals of two men convicted in the 2013 swarming death of Lukas Strasser-Hird.

Eighteen-year-old Strasser-Hird was stabbed and kicked to death by a group of males in an alley behind a Calgary nightclub.

Franz Cabrera and Assmar Shlah were among four men found guilty of killing Strasser-Hird. Both appealed to the Supreme Court.

On his way into the hearing today, Strasser-Hird's father, Dale Hird, spoke about his frustrations with the process.

"When he went out with his friends, we didn't even see him until he died in front of us on a table the next day," Dale said. "The guy who did it is right behind me there. Walks around, talks on his phone, hangs out with his girlfriend. He's going to school at Mount Royal College with other kids. How that happens, I have no idea."

Shlah was found guilty in 2016 of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 12 years.

Alberta's highest court dismissed his appeal in May, but Shlah was allowed to bring his case to the Supreme Court after one of the three judges in that ruling dissented.

Nathan Gervais, 24, was found guilty of first-degree murder in Strasser-Hird's killing in May and is asking the Alberta Court of Appeal to overturn his conviction.

Gervais was set to appear with the other men in 2016, but fled the country before being caught in Vietnam in 2018.

Joch Pouk was found guilty of manslaughter in Strasser-Hird's death and did not appeal his conviction.

With files from Meghan Grant