Murder trial set for November for inmates who escaped Victoria-area prison
The trial of two inmates who are accused of murdering a man while on the lam from federal prison near Victoria in 2019 is set to begin this fall in Vancouver.
Zachary Armitage and James Lee Busch are both charged with the first-degree murder of Martin Payne, a 60-year-old Metchosin, B.C., man who was found dead in his home near the prison in July 2019.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin on Oct. 6, with the trial set to commence in B.C. Supreme Court on Nov. 14, according to the B.C. Prosecution Service.
Armitage and Busch escaped from William Head Institution on the evening of July 7, 2019, prompting a region-wide manhunt.
The pair were arrested approximately 48 hours later after commenting on a man's dog while walking together in Esquimalt, B.C., on July 9, 2019.
The dog walker, an off-duty RCMP homicide detective, recognized the men as the escaped prisoners and called Victoria police, who arrested them.
Earlier that afternoon, Payne's red Ford F-150 pickup truck was found abandoned on Woodburn Avenue in Oak Bay, B.C.
His body was discovered three days later on July 12, 2019, when police were sent to his Brookview Drive home – approximately seven kilometres from the prison – to check on him after he failed to show up for work.
Multiple police agencies, led by the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit, investigated Payne's death for nearly a year before announcing the charges against Armitage and Busch in June 2020.
"Marty was deeply loved by his tight circle of friends and family and we have continued to mourn his senseless loss every day for the past 11 months," the family said in its statement when the charges were announced.
"The man who was taken from us was an exceptionally gentle and caring human being whose love, support, and encouragement were unfailing," the family said.
Both Busch and Armitage were violent offenders at the time of their escape.
Busch, then 42 years old, was serving an indeterminate sentence for second-degree murder and assault, and was also serving time for aggravated sexual assault and escape from custody.
Armitage, who was 30 years old and had also previously escaped from custody, was serving a nearly 14-year sentence for robbery, aggravated assault and other offences.
The Correctional Service of Canada launched a review of every inmate in minimum-security custody across the country in the wake of the escape.
The review led the department to reclassify 14 minimum-security offenders and move them to medium-security prisons.
Nine of the 14 inmates who the correctional service found to be misclassified were at William Head, including Armitage and Busch.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Louis Gossett Jr., 1st Black man to win supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87
Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries 'Roots,' has died. He was 87.
Weather alerts issued for 7 provinces, 1 territory
Warnings of up to 60 millimetres of rain and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces and one territory ahead of the Easter weekend.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
Luxury cruise line selling world cruise suite for US$1.7 million
Luxury operator Regent Seven Seas Cruises is raising their price tag to eye-watering levels, with a suite on an upcoming 140-day world voyage costing US$1.7 million.
Why Kim Kardashian is being sued for 'knockoff' furniture
The estate of minimalist contemporary artist Donald Judd filed a lawsuit against Kardashian this week, claiming the fashion and beauty mogul promoted 'cheap knockoffs' of his furniture designs.
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.
A Filipino villager is nailed to a cross for the 35th time on Good Friday to pray for world peace
A Filipino villager has been nailed to a wooden cross for the 35th time to reenact Jesus Christ’s suffering in a brutal Good Friday tradition he said he would devote to pray for peace in Ukraine, Gaza and the disputed South China Sea.
Ontario homeowner on the hook for $27,000 when contractor severed power line
An Ontario man who built a garage on his property has been locked in a battle with his electricity provider for a year and half over a severed power line.
King Charles will attend Easter Sunday service at Windsor
Buckingham Palace officials say King Charles III and Queen Camilla will attend an Easter service at the chapel at Windsor Castle on Sunday.