Jun 26, 1997
Jun 3, 2025
Manitoba
25 years
Robert Sanderson
Robert Sanderson, a Métis father of two, was wrongly convicted in 1996 of a gang-related triple murder in Winnipeg. The victims—Stefan Zurstegge, Thomas Krowetz, and Jason Gross—were found tortured, stabbed, and shot in Krowetz’s home. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, prosecutors alleged Sanderson was part of the Los Bravos Motorcycle Club and targeted the men over gang ties. Sanderson consistently maintained his innocence.
Legal Materials
In the News
The journey
to justice
August 6
Three men, Stefan Zurstegge, Thomas Krowetz and Jason Gross, were fatally tortured, stabbed, and shot in Mr. Krowetz’s home.
September 19
Robert and two other men were charged with first-degree murder.
June 26
Robert and one of his co-accused were found guilty of three counts of first-degree murder and received the mandatory sentence of life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years.
March 17
The Manitoba Court of Appeal dismissed Robert’s appeal.
September 16
Robert was denied leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.
August 19
The Manitoba Forensic Evidence Review Committee established that the hair relied upon by the Crown at trial is not the hair of Robert Sanderson.
January
With the help of Innocence Canada, Robert applied for a ministerial review of his case (696.1 application) with fresh evidence.
The Federal Department of Justice determined there may be a reasonable basis to find a miscarriage of justice.
The Minister of Justice (David Lametti) found that there was a reasonable basis to conclude that a miscarriage of justice likely occurred, and referred Robert’s case to the Manitoba Court of Appeal for a new appeal.
May 30
The Manitoba Court of Appeal quashed Robert’s convictions and ordered a new trial.
June 3
The Maniotba Crown Prosecution acknowledged the extraordinary miscarriage of justice and entered a stay of proceedings on the grounds of public interest.
The Case
Robert Sanderson was a Métis father of an eleven-year-old son and one year old daughter when he was wrongly convicted of the first-degree murders of Stefan Zurstegge, Thomas Krowetz, and Jason Gross in what was alleged to be a gang-related triple homicide in 1996 in Manitoba. On August 6 of that year, the three victims were found fatally tortured, stabbed, and shot in Krowetz’s Winnipeg home. Although the original investigation presented no physical evidence directly linking Robert Sanderson to the crime scene, the Crown alleged he was a member of the Los Bravos Motorcycle Club and targeted the victims due to alleged gang affiliations. Robert Sanderson maintained his innocence from the outset.
Robert Sanderson was arrested on September 19, 1996, and stood trial in 1997 alongside two co-accused, the late Roger Sanderson (no relation) who was a member of the Manitoba Warriors and was exonerated before his death in 2020, and Robert Blaine Tews. On June 26, 1997, Robert Sanderson was convicted on three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life imprisonment without parole eligibility for 25 years. His appeal to the Manitoba Court of Appeal was dismissed in 1999, and he was denied leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada later that same year.
The conviction rested heavily on two key pieces of now-discredited evidence:
A crown expert testified that hair seized from the leg of one of the deceased was “more likely” from Robert Sanderson. The Crown used this testimony to suggest that he “left a piece of himself at the scene of the crime.”
The Court of Appeal decision released on June 2, 2025, acknowledged that post-conviction DNA testing established that the hair, “did not and could not have come from Mr. (Robert) Sanderson.”
An eyewitness who connected Mr. Sanderson to the three murders was paid over $15,000 by the authorities after he testified at the trial. This deal was made without telling Mr. Sanderson’s lawyers, and the prosecution could not explain why this vital information was not disclosed.
Notably, the Crown counsel on Robert Sanderson’s case was the late George Dangerfield, a senior Manitoba prosecutor who later gained notoriety for his role in several wrongful convictions, including those of A.J. and Clarence Woodhouse, Brian Anderson, Thomas Sophonow, James Driskell, Kyle Unger, and Frank Ostrowski. His involvement, alongside that of the Winnipeg Police Service as the investigating agency, should have raised serious concerns as both were central figures in a troubling pattern of miscarriages of justice in Manitoba during that era.
The Fight for Justice
In 2017, with the help of Innocence Canada, Robert Sanderson applied to the Federal Minister of Justice for a ministerial review of his convictions. In 2018, the Department of Justice concluded there may be a reasonable basis to believe a miscarriage of justice had occurred. That same year, Mr. Sanderson’s bail application pending review was denied, but he was released on full parole shortly thereafter.
In February 2023, the Minister of Justice officially referred Robert Sanderson’s case back to the Manitoba Court of Appeal.
The Exoneration
On May 30, 2025, the Manitoba Court of Appeal quashed Robert Sanderson’s convictions and ordered a new trial. On June 2, 2025, the Crown, acknowledging that there had been an extraordinary miscarriage of justice in his case, entered a stay of proceedings on public interest grounds. Mr. Robert Sanderson was formally cleared almost three decades after his wrongful arrest, conviction, and imprisonment.
Life After Exoneration
Since his release on parole, Robert Sanderson rebuilt his life in western Canada as best he could while living under a dark, ominous cloud and the label of murderer. He became a respected Indigenous artist known for his wood carvings, masks, and traditional paintings of profound cultural and spiritual depth. His work, shaped by the trauma of wrongful imprisonment, speaks to resilience, identity, and reclamation.
The Manitoba Court of Appeal acknowledged his contributions, stating:
“Mr. Sanderson is self-employed as an Indigenous artist with a considerable reputation and has maintained a stable relationship and has positive support in the community.”
Although Mr. Sanderson’s conviction was quashed and a stay entered, he is not truly free. The Crown has a year to consider whether they will order a new trial.
Mr. Robert Sanderson fulfilled his passion for art while incarcerated. He now specializes in large paintings for private collectors. You can view samples of his artwork and get in touch with him to discuss a customized, original piece of artwork here:
Instagram: robertss1970