‘He’s a zombie:’ court hears detailed facts of murder at Nanaimo coffee shop

At question is whether Turok is criminally responsible for the random stabbing attack, amid considerable evidence suggesting his mental health was compromised at the time.

A judge is hearing evidence this week to determine whether Turok’s case will proceed to trial or if he’ll be found not criminally responsible and be admitted indefinitely to the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital in Port Coquitlam.

Crown prosecutor Basil McCormick outlined the agreed statement of facts, telling court just prior to the stabbing, Turok’s car was found abandoned on Aulds Rd. near Metral Dr. after it crashed into a median.

Nanaimo RCMP attended the scene, identified the car as Turok’s and went to his home on Metral Dr. near Mostar Rd., however he wasn’t there.

Across the Island Hwy., Kutzner had arrived at Buzz Coffee House about an hour-and-a-half prior to opening for customers at 9 a.m.

While the main entrance was locked, Kutzner prepared baked goods at the business owned by his daughter and left a side door open for colleagues to enter which was standard procedure.

Turok used the side door to enter and had a brief interaction with Kutzner, before Turok stabbed him 12 times in the chest, neck and head with the use of at least one knife in the café.

At 8:45 a.m., two colleagues arrived to work where they noticed through the window the blood-soaked legs of Kutzner, while they saw an unknown male inside walking around and dripping blood onto the floor.

Turok unlocked, then re-locked the business, with the colleagues noticing his “wild, crazy eyes,” McCormick said.

Nanaimo RCMP were called, who arrived on scene to find Turok hiding under a desk adjacent to the kitchen. Nobody else else besides Turok and the fallen Kutzner were inside.

Paramedics showed up soon after and pronounced Kutzner dead.

He was lying in the back of Buzz Coffee House with substantial blood loss, and was found with a white rag stuffed in his mouth and still wearing the oven mit and chef’s hat he had on prior to the attack.

Kutzner was awarded the Governor General’s Caring Canadian Award in 2016 for restoring a property in Creston which housed and employed people with developmental and physical disabilities. (Submitted photo)

Turok then physically resisted police, kicking and grabbing at an officer when he was told he was under arrest for murder.

A taser was deployed twice on Turok in an effort to get him under control.

Turok then shouted “he’s a zombie, he’s a zombie”, referring to Kutzner. During the arrest, Turok declared he wasn’t guilty, adding ‘it is negative to my reality.”

At the Nanaimo RCMP detachment cells, Turok was again combative and uncooperative while being processed and photographed.

Once lodged in cells, Turok was observed pacing around, then engaged in self-harm by headbutting and shoulder charging walls, as well as tossing himself off a ledge to the concrete floor four times.

He was transported to Nanaimo hospital under the Mental Health Act after being held by police in a restraint chair.

On the way to hospital Turok told paramedics that he felt he was going crazy and claimed to be a genius assisting Elon Musk.

After being contacted by a legal aid lawyer, Turok told police at the hospital he let himself into the coffee shop, but was told by a man there it wasn’t open yet.

Turok said he didn’t believe Kutzner belonged there.

“He was a bag of puss or a bag of parasites, I killed that man, but he wasn’t a human, he was a parasite, so he’s not a living thing.”

Turok claimed he was a healer, leader of this country and that his actions were the result of actions by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

“Zombies came at me, that’s why I had to kill that guy, that was a zombie, so how could I kill somebody that isn’t human? How could I consider killing something that in a sense is something that’s death, so it’s not human so it didn’t die.”

Turok’s legal team presented expert testimony from forensic psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Kolchak, whose background includes diagnosing and assessing mental disorders.

Dr. Kolchak said he believes Turok was actively psychotic at the time and and his ability to act rationally was completely compromised.

“He perceived a reality as it appeared to him in the psychotic state of his mind, that in turn deprived him from the ability to make decisions rationally and therefore he could not make decisions correctly.”

Kutzner was viewed by Turok as a threat, which was consistent with his behaviour prior to the offence of being constantly paranoid, Kolchak told court.

“He likely was in a state of heightened perception of threat and also likely misinterpreted the actions of the victim at the time.”

Dr. Kolchak said in his opinion Turok didn’t understood the moral wrongfulness of his actions.

He added Turok wasn’t taking prescribed anti-psychotic medication for a year-and-a-half up leading up to the fatal incident.

Dr. Kolchak agreed with an opinion formed at Nanaimo hospital that Turok was suffering from schizoaffective disorder.

An expert for the Crown is also expected to provide a similar position of Turok’s mental issues.

This week’s hearing is overseen by BC Supreme Court Associate Chief Justice Heather Holmes.

Turok, whose been in custody since the stabbing, sat silently throughout Monday’s proceedings in a red Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre sweatshirt.

Family members of the victim and Turok are also witnessing the proceedings.

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ian@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @reporterholmes

by Ian Holmes

‘He’s a zombie:’ court hears detailed facts of murder at Nanaimo coffee shop

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