Family of slain Nanaimo man say he was likely trying to help attacker
Family members of a Nanaimo man killed in what police call a tragic random murder say they believe their loved one was trying to help his attacker.
Eric Kutzner, 79, was murdered on Saturday morning in a brazen daylight attack at a Nanaimo coffee shop, according to police.
Kutzner's family says he arrived at the coffee shop early on Saturday to start baking and prepare to open the shop.
They suspect his kind nature likely had him invite his alleged killer inside.
"Knowing my grandpa, if this guy looked like he needed help he probably would have brought him in and made him coffee," said Kutzner's grandson, Phil Baker.
Baker worked alongside Kutzner at the family-run business, and awoke on Saturday to calls from staff saying they saw an unknown man in the business.
His staff quickly called police around 9 a.m.
"They said someone was in there with him. I don't know why anyone would be, aside from what happened," said Baker.
Baker says RCMP investigators have kept many details of what happened hidden, but confirms that what happened inside was tragic.
"I don't necessarily want all the answers," he said.
"The coroner said that there was no suffering."
On Wednesday, Kutzner's family identified him as the victim and gave details about his charitable past.
The senior was well known for helping people with disabilities and also acted as a seniors' housing advocate in Nanaimo.
In 2018, he received a Sovereign's Medal for Volunteers award for his work on a Creston, B.C., farm which employed disabled workers.
Nanaimo RCMP arrested a 29-year-old man at the scene on Saturday morning.
He has since been charged with second degree murder and remains in police custody.
Baker says his family and the coffee shop staff have been overwhelmed by the support the Nanaimo community has given them in this difficult time.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.