QUESTION OF THE WEEK PAGE A3
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PEEWEE TOURNEY WRAPS UP PAGE A17
OBSERVER QUESNEL - CARIBOO
SINCE 1908
Wednesday, March 23, 2012
VOL. 98 NO. 58
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‘Ramp’ needs removing AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter He said it should have never happened in the first place. Keith Stasiuk is the husband of the woman whose vehicle ended up in the Quesnel River last Monday. And while Stasiuk is not arguing the fact his wife may have been going too fast for icy road conditions, he’s questioning why the city failed to remove the snow and ice debris, pushed against the cement barrier. “It’s virtually a ramp,” he said. “That cement barrier is designed to stop people from going over.” Stasiuk added the cement blocks also protect those traveling the river walk. “It [vehicle incident] could have been much worse,” he said. “My wife was incredibly lucky and if anyone would have been walking when she went over... we could have had a few deaths.” Stasiuk said he’s phoned the city [city manager John Stecyk] to request crews remove the “ice ramp.” The city said the matter is with their insurers and as of Monday morning a portion of the road was cleared. “Seven days after the incident,” Stasiuk said. “This area should always be clear and certainly after an incident. This didn’t need to happen.”
Keith Stasiuk photo
Defence attorneys question lack of evidence Jury deliberating guilt or innocence of Gill and Van Dyke AUTUMN MacDONALD Observer Reporter With 44 convictions and eight years in jail before the age of 30, defence attorneys for Clarence Gill and Bradley Van Dyke painted alleged victim Jefferey Steinbrunner as a career criminal. Defence also pointed to a number of inconsistencies, contradictions and improbableness in Steinb-
runner’s testimony. One such was the allegation Gill hit Steinbrunner with a bat as he poked his head out of the cabin door. “It’s a far cry of injuries one would expect from a bat,” defence attorney Israels said. “It defies common sense.” Israels also pointed to Steinbrunner’s evidence that Gill told him to
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lie down on the bed and then proceeded to beat him. Forensics found no blood on the bed or futon. “Where’ all the blood?” Israels questioned. “Where’s the [medical] evidence of bruising?” Defence also pointed to Steinbrunner’s account of getting off the bed and running towards the door when he heard Gill yell to Van Dyke “shoot
him, shoot him” before he heard the gun go off. “The bullet [by Steinbrunner’s story] is on the wrong side,” he said. “It would be on the left, not the right.” Israels also raised questions as to what happened post incident. Steinbrunner testified he ran out of the cabin and hid, removing his white t-shirt near the vicinity of the cabin. Police never located
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the white t-shirt. Steinbrunner also told jurors and police he had hid, then went to his van, which was on the property, to retrieve a jacket before running to a neighbour’s for help. Police didn’t search, seize or photograph the vehicle. Israels reiterated the lack of evidence Gill or Van Dyke were ever even in the cabin the night of Sept. 5,
2009 and the absence of motive. “There was no DNA collected at the scene [fingerprints etc.],” he said, also pointing to the fact the bat and gun were never found. “The evidence is just not there.” As of press time the 12-member jury were deliberating. Check online and print edition for updates.
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