Man sorry for cultish slaying, court hears

BARRIE— A man who killed his landlord in a cultish murder — cutting off his ears, nose and lips and carving a sunburst symbol into his belly — apologized to his victim’s family yesterday.

“ I take full responsibility for my actions,’’ said Glyn Lloyd Owen, 25, who pleaded guilty to second-degree murder of 58year- old Domenico Orsino.

Orsino’s mutilated body was discovered Jan. 19, 2003 in Innisfil, near Barrie.

In a victim impact statement, Orsino’s daughter Claudia Biamonte told the Superior Court of Justice her father’s body was so badly mutilated, the funeral home couldn’t dress him in the suit bought for his funeral.

“It was the most horrifying death possible, we are all haunted by the images,’’ said Biamonte, fighting back tears. She said Orsino, who immigrated from Italy in 1967, was a proud Canadian, dearly loved by his children and grandchildren.

In an agreed statement of facts, court heard that before Orsino’s death Owen was depressed because his pregnant girlfriend had left him and that Owen wrote poems about committing a horrific murder.

Carved into the wall near Orsino’s body was an ethnic slur and words similar to those found at the scenes of the 1969 murders by followers of cult leader Charles Manson. Crown attorney Fred Temple” asked Justice Peter Howden to not allow parole eligibility until Owen had served 18 to 20 years of his automatic life sentence. Howden reserved sentencing until Dec. 1.