The man who was accused of killing a senior in a Nanaimo coffee shop two years ago has been found to be not criminally responsible due to a mental disorder.
James Turok was charged with second-degree murder for the February 2022 death of 79-year-old Eric Kutzner, who was discovered with twelve stab wounds at Buzz Coffee House.
On Wednesday, a B.C. Supreme Court judge ruled that Turok was unable to distinguish right from wrong at the time.
This decision followed testimony given on Tuesday by forensic psychiatrist Dr. Robert Lacroix, who informed the court that Turok was dealing with a long-lasting mental disorder. The court also learned that Turok repeatedly referred to the victim as a “zombie” or non-human entity after being detained, although he could not recall doing so in later interviews.
The court was informed that Turok had been in and out of the hospital numerous times since 2012, often being discharged without any mandated follow-up, and had symptoms such as agitated paranoia and inflated self-esteem.
During Wednesday’s hearing, it was revealed that Turok had gone to the Nanaimo hospital three days before the fatal attack, requesting to see a psychologist.
Outside the court on Tuesday, Kutzner’s daughter Francine Baker expressed concern to Global News that her family would not receive justice or all the answers regarding her father’s death.
“What’s frustrating is that since 2012, this man has had issues and nothing has been done about it,” she said.
James Turok was charged with second-degree murder in the February 2022 death of 79-year-old Eric Kutzner, who was discovered with twelve stab wounds at the Buzz Coffee House.
