Ziggy zagged — and the rescue was on By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
TUESDAY
A wayward swimmer (shirtless on the left) speaks with Kamloops Fire Rescue crews after an exhaustive 30-minute search of the North Thompson River on Friday, Aug. 17, following a reported drowning. The swimmer’s friend told KTW he was trying to get to Pioneer Park. Tim Petruk/KTW
A half-dozen police cars, at least two fire trucks, a pair of ambulances, a rescue boat and a helicopter scoured the North Thompson River for about a half-hour on Friday, Aug. 1, after a reported drowning. But, in the end, it was a guy named Ziggy who just decided to go for a swim. Roland Johnson and his friend were sitting on the bank of the North Thompson River enjoying the hot day, with temperatures in the low 30s. “Ziggy said, ‘I’m gonna try to go to Pioneer Park,’” Roland told KTW, pointing across the river. “I said, ‘That’s not Pioneer Park — that’s the reserve.’” But, Johnson said, his pal wasn’t having it. So, Ziggy handed Johnson his shoes and zagged across the North Thompson.
Meanwhile, a passerby saw Ziggy enter the water and then lost sight of him. In a panic, 911 was called. Before long, Schubert Drive between Fort and Alder avenues was buzzing with emergency crews, with a Kamloops Fire Rescue boat on the water and an air ambulance helping out from above. That was about 2 p.m. Forty minutes later, Ziggy was spotted lying down directly across the river from the intersection of Schubert Drive and Spruce Avenue. Johnson said Ziggy’s usually strong in the water. “He’s a pretty good swimmer,” he said. “Probably fatigue is what it is.” As for that trip to Pioneer Park, Johnson said Ziggy will likely call it a day. “That’s probably gonna be it for him,” he said. “He’s probably gonna get a ride from there.”
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Killer returns to Kamloops courtroom By Tim Petruk STAFF REPORTER
tim@kamloopsthisweek.com
The son of a former Edmonton police chief who last week admitted under oath to murdering his girlfriend in Alberta last summer will return to a Kamloops courtroom today (Aug. 21). Mark Lindsay stood trial last week in B.C. Supreme Court in Kamloops on charges of aggravated assault, robbery and possession of a dangerous weapon — all of which stemmed from a September 2011 incident in which the 25-year-old admittedly stabbed an undercover RCMP officer in Barriere. The undercover Mountie was attempting to gain Lindsay’s trust as part of a Mr. Big operation — elaborate stings designed to convince suspects to confess to crimes. Lindsay was being targeted because police suspected he was involved in
the disappearance of his former girlfriend, Dana Turner. Turner, 31, went missing in Edmonton on Aug. 14, 2011 — two days after Lindsay finished serving a 50-day jail sentence for stabbing her in the head with a paring knife. In court last week, Lindsay admitted to murdering Turner and to stabbing the undercover Mountie. He also confessed on the stand to stabbing his Kamloops Regional Correctional Centre cellmate, 21-year-old Michel Fougere, twice in the same eye — the crime for which he is slated to stand trial beginning today. According to Lindsay’s testimony, all of the stabbings could be attributed to a group of serial killers that had been trying to kill him for three years. He said Turner and the undercover Mountie were both members of the group, as was Fougere’s father.
MARK LINDSAY: Admitted murderer claims serial killers are after him.
Lindsay also spoke about “psychic communications” and phone calls from the serial killers. Based on those statements, B.C. Supreme Court Justice Dev Dley ordered Lindsay to undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether the motive for the attack on the undercover officer can be attributed to a mental disorder. Court heard a similar order is expected to be made following this week’s trial. Lindsay would then
undergo a 30-day incustody assessment at a psychiatric hospital in Port Coquitlam. If doctors find Lindsay to have been suffering a mental disorder at the time of the stabbings, Dley could find him not criminally responsible by way of a mental disorder. He would then be handed over to the B.C. Review Board for disposition. Lindsay is also charged with second-degree murder in Alberta for Turner’s death. He is slated to appear in a Red Deer courtroom for a preliminary inquiry in January.
Father breaks silence Lindsay’s father — a former Edmonton police chief and current deacon in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Edmonton — broke his silence and issued a statement on the weekend, asking for prayers for the families of
everyone involved. The statement, signed by John Lindsay and his wife, Louise, states the family is “greatly saddened” by the events, and by the details laid out at the Kamloops Law Courts last week. “Please pray for Dana, her mother and family, and all those who mourn her,” the statement reads. “Please also pray for everyone else affected by what has happened, and for our son Mark and our family.” None of Lindsay’s family members have been present at any of his court appearances in Kamloops, dating back to September 2011 and including last week’s trial. In the statement, the Lindsays say they love their son, but have been unable to attend court due to illness. The entire statement can be read online at kamloopsthisweek.com.
Bear-killing story rural legend A Kamloops-based conservation officer says there’s nothing to substantiate reports from earlier this month that a black bear cub was intentionally run over with an ATV before being hacked to death with a machete. Darcy MacPhee said investigators looked into the alleged incident, said to have taken place at the provincial campground on Neskonlith Lake over the August long weekend. “It all chased back to a bear that was hit on the side of the road, and that’s it,” he said. “From there, it just sort of grew legs.” The story was reported on kamloopsthisweek.com on Aug. 8. Neskonlith Indian Band Chief Judy Wilson told KTW at the time she’d heard second- or third-hand reports about the incident, calling it “inhumane.” MacPhee said the investigation is now closed. Neskonlith Lake is located between Pritchard and Chase, about 65 kilometres east of Kamloops.
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