Man who killed wife, blew up Kitchener home to remain at mental health hospital after recent arrest

Udo Haan, 65, must remain at the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in St. Thomas after he was arrested in April for allegedly harassing a woman.

In 2023, Haan was found not criminally responsible for the death of his wife Edra Haan.

Emergency crews were called to a home on Sprucedale Crescent in Kitchener just after 8 a.m. on Aug. 22, 2018 for an explosion at a home. They found the body of 58-year-old Edra Haan in the back yard of the home. Udo Haan was critically injured and airlifted to a Hamilton hospital.

Haan went to the Southwest Centre for Forensic Mental Health Care in St. Thomas. Since September 2024, has been allowed to live in an apartment in the town with supervision.

But he was arrested on April 18 after a woman he had met through speed dating and who lived in his building called police to say he was harassing her. When police arrived at his apartment, officers found him drinking beer and smoking marijuana, which violated the conditions of him being allowed to live outside the hospital.

After his arrest, Haan was returned to the hospital where doctors wanted to increase the dosage of medication he was on. They noted in a report to the Ontario Review Board that he displayed erratic behaviour during the week after his arrest, including yelling at staff, getting upset about clothing, saying he could get weapons into the hospital if he wanted to and indicating he had a "hot date" on the weekend so he could not stay in the hospital. 

Haan argued against the hospital's recommendations to keep him in the facility and change his medication.

The Ontario Review Board, which reviews cases of people who are found not criminally responsible for their crimes or who are found to be unfit to stand trial, determined on Tuesday that restricting Haan's movements and keeping him at the hospital "was warranted, necessary and appropriate."

The board also issued new directives for Haan, including:

• He can leave the hospital for medical, dental, legal or compassionate purposes.
• He must abstain "absolutely" from non-medical use of alcohol or drugs.
• He cannot contact a number of individuals including some family members and the woman he's accused of harassing.
• He cannot use common areas in the apartment building where he was living.
• He must immediately report all sexual and non-sexual relationships with women and any changes to the status of a relationship.

The hospital has been ordered to create a plan for rehabilitation that would permit Haan to visit areas around the hospital unsupervised, live outside the hospital and travel for up to seven days, four times a year, with an approved itinerary. When Haan is again allowed to be in the community, the hospital must notify police and Haan must agree to random urine and breath samples.

The Ontario Review Board released the decision on Tuesday but the reasoning behind it will take another three to four weeks to be released.