7 women, 5 men selected for triple-murder trial jury
A jury of seven women and five men will decide the legal fate of Basil Borutski, whose triple murder trial was expected to formally begin Wednesday.
The panel of 12 jurors and two alternates was finalized in court Tuesday, with Borutski accused in the killings of Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, Nathalie Warmerdam, 48, and Carol Culleton, 66.
The three women were killed within hours of each other in a September 2015 rampage in and around the Renfrew County community of Wilno.
After Ontario Justice Robert Maranger gives final instructions to the jurors Wednesday, the Crown is expected to make its opening statement, according to Renfrew County Crown prosecutor Jeffery Richardson and Lanark County Crown prosecutor Julie Scott. The Crown is also expected to call its first witness.
With the first evidence presented, Maranger said, the trial will formally commence. Court has set aside 17 weeks for the jury trial.
Borutski, 59, has not named a lawyer and will defend himself on three counts of first-degree murder. As his own defence counsel, Borutski had the right to challenge and dismiss individual prospective jurors. He did not exercise that right.
Borutski has, so far, been unresponsive throughout proceedings, sitting in the prisoner’s box with his eyes wincing shut, wearing a baggy white T-shirt, his long grey hair and goatee unkempt.
He refused to acknowledge the court clerk when called upon, refused to stand when he was formally arraigned on the charges and had no reaction when Maranger read details of the killings to prospective jurors.
Culleton was the first to die in the series of killings that began late Sept. 21 or in the early hours of Sept. 22, 2015, Maranger said.
Her assailant broke into her cottage at 670 Kamaniskeg Rd., near Combermere, where she was later found beaten and strangled to death.
Kuzyk was then shot to death with a 12-gauge shotgun at her home at 37 Szczipior Rd. in Wilno at 8:50 a.m.
Warmerdam was killed with a 12-gauge shotgun at her home at 594 Foymount Rd., near Cormac, at 9:20 a.m.
Borutski was arrested later that day near Kinburn in West Carleton and charged with three counts of first-degree murder. He has entered no plea, with court filing a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
The trial was moved from Pembroke to Ottawa.
Court appointed Ottawa lawyer James Foord as amicus curiae (friend of the court) to ensure Borutski’s right to a fair trial, and lawyer Patrick McCann was appointed in the event witnesses are uncomfortable undergoing crossexamination from the accused.
The Crown read a list of more than 100 names of potential witnesses, including family members of the victims, community members, police and forensic experts.
The first of those witnesses will be called to testify Wednesday.
Maranger implored the jurors to “keep an open mind” about the case, and to avoid any kind of research on the details, whether from media reports, social media or from speaking with others.
The prosecution is joined in court by lead investigators Det. Sgt. Sylvain Archambault and Det. Const. Wendy Saunders of the Ontario Provincial Police Renfrew detachment.