14-year sentence handed to man in stabbing spree that killed 1

A memorial was set up for Brian Berland at the scene of his death in northeast Edmonton. (Evan Klippenstein/CTV News Edmonton)

The man responsible for a series of attacks that left one person dead and two others injured in September 2022 will spend more than a decade in prison.

On Wednesday, Clarence Ernest Lawrence, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of manslaughter and two counts of aggravated assault in the stabbings.

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According to the agreed statement of facts, Lawrence had regularly been using cannabis for several years before the attacks and had recently started using methamphetamines.

He had a history of being admitted to the hospital for methamphetamine-induced psychosis and had previously been diagnosed with generalized depression, anxiety, substance use disorder, cannabis use disorder, likely alcohol use disorder and Schizophrenia.

On Sept. 7, 2022, at 1 p.m. he left the home of his grandparents where he resided on Hooke Road and approached two neighbours to ask if they believed in God and Jesus.

He then walked to a nearby cannabis store and bought two pre-rolled five-gram marijuana joints at 1:45 p.m.

He smoked one of the joints immediately and at 2 p.m. he returned to his grandparent’s home and took two knives from the kitchen before leaving again.

Shortly after leaving his house, he approached a 32-year-old woman who was sitting in a bus shelter on Hermitage Road and repeatedly asked what she was doing.

The woman, who did not know Lawrence, attempted to leave the bus shelter and he lunged after her, striking her backpack with a six-inch fixed blade serrated knife, according to the agreed statement of facts.

As the woman turned to run, Lawrence stabbed her in the back under her ribcage and attempted to stab her a second time but struck her backpack again.

She was taken to the University of Alberta Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Lawrence ran from the scene to a homeless encampment near Banker’s Pub.

He entered the tent of a 41-year-old woman whom he had known for about two months, sometimes providing her cigarettes and water.

He asked the woman to show him her alien eyes and where the invisible man was.

According to the court documents, he then produced a knife and first pointed it toward himself, before reaching behind the woman and stabbing her in the back three times.

As he ran from the tent, the woman yelled to two people walking a dog at Hermitage Road and Henry Avenue to call 911.

Lawrence approached the pair, Brian Berland, 38, and his cousin Jamie Berland.

He immediately and repeatedly stabbed Brian.

According to the agreed statement of facts, the attack was “completely unprovoked,” leaving Brian “no time to defend himself.”

Brian stumbled across Henry Avenue before collapsing on a sidewalk.

Jamie ran to a nearby grocery store, where she was joined by the second victim who reported that Lawrence had run from the scene.

The pair returned to find Brian lying in the middle of the road.

A Good Samaritan called 911 but Brian died moments later.

Lawrence’s actions after the attacks

Lawrence proceeded to a liquor store at 137 Avenue and 40 Street where he stole a bottle of wine and put it down his pants.

He then went to the Clareview LRT Station and got on a train bound for Century Park.

He was detained on the train by transit security officers who found a serrated kitchen knife and the bottle of wine in his pants.

He was issued a ticket for possession of the knife and both the knife and wine were seized by the officer.

He was released by the officer at the 102A Avenue exit of the Churchill LRT station at 3:37 p.m.

Court documents show the officer was unaware that Lawrence had recently stabbed three people.

At 5:50 p.m. an Edmonton Police Service officer spotted Lawrence walking north on 50 Street from 118 Avenue and recognizing him as the suspect in the stabbings, called for the EPS tactical unit.

Lawrence was arrested by the tactical unit at 50 Street and 112 Avenue at 5:56 p.m.

When officers asked for his name, Lawrence initially told them he was not from this planet, but ultimately confirmed his identity.

Officers described him as delusional.

He was taken to the Royal Alexandra Hospital for treatment and discharged at 11:39 p.m. the same day.

Toxicology screenings conducted in hospital revealed the presence of both methamphetamine and marijuana.

Police interviews with Lawrence

When police interviewed Lawrence about the attacks, he told him God, Jesus and Satan had entered the victims and he wanted to send a message that he had had enough of them going inside of humans.

He said he armed himself with the knives so he could deal with the worst killers in the world who were stealing people’s souls.

When asked who he attacked first, he said, “I stabbed Jesus first.”

When asked for a description of Jesus, Lawrence stated, “Jesus wanted to be a girl at that time and go there at the bus stop there at that time.”

He was unable to recall the name of the second woman.

He said he loved her but he was unsure if they were in an intimate relationship. They were not.

An autopsy conducted on Brian Berland found that he died of multiple stab wounds.

The force of the stabbings broke the blade of the knife off and it remained in his body.

In 2024 Lawrence was assessed by a forensic psychologist with Alberta Hospital who determined he was in a state of psychosis due to self-induced intoxication at the time of the crimes.

2025 court hearing

During a hearing on Wednesday, court heard victim impact statements from Jamie Berland and several other relatives.

“My life is so different without you,” he told the court, adding she lost not only a relative but a friend.

“He was always here thick and thin.”

“Words can’t express how I’m feeling about this.”

Brian Berland’s aunt said he was born with a disability that would have impacted his ability to run from Lawrence.

“He did not even have a chance to defend himself because of his handicap.”

“How he died was uncalled for and senseless.”

As part of a joint submission, the Crown and defence called for a prison term of 15 years for the manslaughter charge, three years to be served consecutively for the first count of aggravated assault and three years to be served concurrently on the second count of aggravated assault for a total of 18 years.

Justice R. Paul Belzil accepted the joint submission, calling the situation an “incredible tragedy.”

“This case demonstrates the tragedy when there is a combination of mental health issues and illicit drug use,” he told the court.

He noted Lawrence’s family members, who have tried for years to get him help, are victims as well.

Lawrence has remained in custody since his arrest.

With time served he has 14 years and six months left on his sentence.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Amanda Anderson