Witness says he lied to police about accused killer showing him a gun

A Saskatoon man says he lied to police 10 years ago when he told them Taylor James Wolff showed him a gun and warned him not to go to James Carlson’s house days before Carlson disappeared.

Police took the statement from Layne Boorman on May 21, 2008, seven days after Carlson, 43, was last seen in Watrous, Sask. Boorman told police Wolff lifted up his shirt and showed him a gun while they were sitting in Wolff ’s car. He described it as having dark brown oak and chrome and being about 10 inches long.

There was no gun because the statement he gave was false, Boorman said on Wednesday, testifying at Wolff ’s second-degree murder trial in Saskatoon Court of Queen’s Bench.

Wolff, 33, is accused of shooting Carlson on or around May 14, 2008. Bullet fragments were found in Carlson’s home and a friend of Wolff ’s testified the accused told her he shot Carlson during a confrontation at the victim’s home.

Carlson’s body has never been found, but police believe there is enough evidence to prove he was killed. Boorman testified he knew police were looking for Wolff in connection with Carlson’s disappearance and wanted to deflect from the fact that he had been purchasing and using drugs.

“I was a scared teenager and I regret everything I did,” he said on the stand.

The trial entered into a voir dire hearing to determine if Boorman’s prior inconsistent statement can be admitted as evidence for the truth of its content.

He appeared eager and cooperative in the video-recorded interview, even offering to draw a picture of the gun.

Boorman told court he was coming off drugs at the time; but the officer who interviewed him testified Boorman showed no signs of intoxication.

Boorman said he knew Wolff and Carlson through the Watrous drug scene. The only interaction he had with Wolff on the day in question

was when he went to Wolff ’s house to buy ecstasy, he testified.

In the video, Boorman told police he’d heard Carlson had ratted on Wolff for having cocaine and methamphetamine. Wolff was charged with possessing drugs for the purpose of selling them to Carlson, and Carlson was supposed to testify at Wolff ’s preliminary hearing, which was scheduled to take place the month after Carlson was killed.

Carlson’s white Monte Carlo was found near Rosthern two years later. Several witnesses testified that they saw Wolff driving the same car in late May 2008.