Stony Mountain inmate stabbed multiple times, bludgeoned to death, court hears

Cory Derdak and Todd Irving led a fellow Stony Mountain inmate into a cell, stabbed him multiple times with prison shanks and bludgeoned him to death over a bad drug deal, a court was told Monday morning.

Derdak, 26, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the death of Nolan Randal Thomas, 26, in Court of Queen's Bench on Monday. Irving had already pleaded guilty to first-degree murder for his role in Thomas's death.

Reading from an agreed upon statement of facts at Derdak's sentencing hearing Monday, Crown prosecutor Joel Myskiw told the court that on the day of Thomas's murder, Derdak put a curtain up against the door of his cell, preventing surveillance cameras from seeing inside.

But surveillance cameras did capture the three men entering the cell, Myskiw said.

A short time later, cameras captures Derdak and Irving leaving the cell. Both could be seen with blood on their hands, while Derdak also had a substantial amount of blood on his shirt and shoes.

The pair walked up to the guard's kiosk, where they admitted to the killing.

When guards entered the cell, they found Thomas in a pool of his own blood. He was beaten so badly, his skull had cracked open, Myskiw told the court.

When Derdak was being led away in handcuffs, he asked guards if he could grab his belongings from the cell. When the guards told him they were likely covered in blood, Derdak said he covered them in plastic — which shows he knew what was going to happen, Myskiw said.

Myskiw said the pair killed Thomas over a drug deal that turned out badly, but Derdak never told officers why he got involved.

At the time of the killing, Derdak was serving a 10-year sentence for attempted murder, which was also committed while he was incarcerated for robbery charges.

A first-degree murder charge carries a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole for 25 years under the Criminal Code. That means Derdak will be in prison until he's at least 51 years old.