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The Province
03-08-2025
- The Province
Prosecutors stay murder conviction of Canada's longest-serving wrongfully convicted man, lawyer says
Innocence Canada says Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but says the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge Published Aug 03, 2025 • 1 minute read Lawyer James Lockyer says the group was "delighted" by the news and believes this is the longest a wrongly convicted person has spent in prison in Canada. Photo by BrianAJackson / Getty Images/iStockphoto The group representing an Alberta man who spent decades in prison for the death of an Edmonton woman says his charge has been stayed. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Innocence Canada says Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but says the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge. Lawyer James Lockyer says the group was 'delighted' by the news and believes this is the longest a wrongly convicted person has spent in prison in Canada. Sobotiak was granted bail earlier this year for his 1991 life sentence in the 1987 murder of Susan Kaminsky after former federal justice minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial due to what he called a likely 'miscarriage of justice.' Lawyers for Alberta Justice had requested a judicial review, arguing that Virani provided no reasoning as to why a new trial was warranted. A spokesperson for the provincial government did not immediately return a request for comment. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here. Local News News Tennis Columnists News
Vancouver Sun
03-08-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Prosecutors stay murder conviction of Canada's longest-serving wrongfully convicted man, lawyer says
The group representing an Alberta man who spent decades in prison for the death of an Edmonton woman says his charge has been stayed. Innocence Canada says Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but says the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge. Lawyer James Lockyer says the group was 'delighted' by the news and believes this is the longest a wrongly convicted person has spent in prison in Canada. Sobotiak was granted bail earlier this year for his 1991 life sentence in the 1987 murder of Susan Kaminsky after former federal justice minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial due to what he called a likely 'miscarriage of justice.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Lawyers for Alberta Justice had requested a judicial review, arguing that Virani provided no reasoning as to why a new trial was warranted. A spokesperson for the provincial government did not immediately return a request for comment. Our website is the place for the latest breaking news, exclusive scoops, longreads and provocative commentary. Please bookmark and sign up for our daily newsletter, Posted, here .
Global News
02-08-2025
- Global News
Prosecutors stay charge for man convicted in 1987 killing, says Innocence Canada
The group representing an Alberta man who spent decades in prison for the death of an Edmonton woman says his charge has been stayed. Innocence Canada says Roy Allan Sobotiak was to appear in court Friday to set a date for his new trial, but says the Crown Prosecution Service stayed his second-degree murder charge. Lawyer James Lockyer says the group was 'delighted' by the news and believes this is the longest a wrongly convicted person has spent in prison in Canada. Get breaking National news For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen. Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Sobotiak was granted bail earlier this year for his 1991 life sentence in the 1987 murder of Susan Kaminsky after former federal justice minister Arif Virani ordered a new trial due to what he called a likely 'miscarriage of justice.' Lawyers for Alberta Justice had requested a judicial review, arguing that Virani provided no reasoning as to why a new trial was warranted.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- CTV News
Appeal denied for American serving life sentence for killing Windsor mother
Autumn Taggart is shown in this handout photo from Windsor Police Service. Warning: this article contains graphic details that readers may find disturbing. Jitesh Bhogal was convicted of first-degree murder in December 2021 for killing Autumn Taggart. The 31-year-old was killed in the bedroom of her University Avenue apartment on June 10, 2018. Court learned Bhogal scaled the wall of her building and broke into her apartment, before suffocating her to death. The jury also found Bhogal sexually assaulted Taggart. They were complete strangers. Jitesh Bhogal Jitesh Bhogal on surveillance video. (Handout / CTV Windsor) During the seven-week jury trial, Bhogal said he consumed cocaine that night and denied sexually assaulting Taggart. He said he covered her mouth to quiet her from screaming. Court learned her young son was in the other room at the time of her murder. Bhogal's appellate lawyer James Lockyer argued Justice Renee Pomerance didn't ask the jury to consider 'extreme intoxication akin to automatism.' Lockyer also accused the crown attorneys and the judge of improperly instructing the jury on expert evidence by a pathologist. Dr. Elena Tugaleva testified about how long it would take for a person to die after their airway is blocked. Three judges with the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled against the appeal yesterday, in part, because the Bhogals lawyer did not object to the charge to the jury nor to the expert evidence summary during the trial in Windsor. Bhogal is eligible to apply for parole in 2046.
CTV News
03-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
Man exonerated after Manitoba court quashes murder convictions
The Manitoba Law Courts building in Winnipeg on Wednesday, May 8, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/John Woods WINNIPEG — An Indigenous man in Manitoba who spent more than two decades in prison has had his three murder convictions quashed and the charges stayed. Former justice minister David Lametti referred the case of Robert Sanderson to the Manitoba Court of Appeal in 2023 for a new hearing, saying there was a likely a miscarriage of justice. Innocence Canada, the group that applied for the ministerial review of the convictions based on new evidence, said the Appeal Court ordered a new trial Friday and the Crown stayed proceedings Monday in Court of King's Bench. James Lockyer, a founding director of Innocence Canada, said it has been a "long haul" for Sanderson and the organization. "We've known about his case for certainly more than a decade," Lockyer said in an interview. "Just took us awhile to get to it, but we did, and finally the case is over. So, big relief for him and for us." Sanderson and two others were charged in the 1996 killings of three men in Winnipeg. The bodies of Jason Gross, Thomas Krowetz and Stefan Zurstegge were found in a home on Aug. 6, 1996, by the father of one of the victims. Gross had blunt trauma injuries to the head and body and multiple stab wounds. Krowetz was shot three times and had at least three dozen stab wounds. Zurstegge was shot twice and stabbed 34 times. Sanderson was convicted the following year on three counts of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. The Manitoba Court of Appeal Court dismissed his appeal in 1999, and he was later denied leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Innocence Canada said it applied to Lametti in 2017 for a review based on new evidence. An expert Crown witness had said hair found on one victim belonged to Sanderson based on microscopic analysis. But DNA testing later established that the hair came from someone else. Innocence Canada also said a witness to events before the killings who linked Sanderson to them was given more than $15,000 by authorities as part of an agreement after he testified at trial. It said this was not disclosed to Sanderson and the prosecution could not explain why. Sanderson was released on parole in 2021. Lockyer said Sanderson is now a free man and is not subject to anything to do with the killings anymore. "Of course, he served a lot of time on them and then was on parole for another four years, but that's in the past," Lockyer said. Sanderson now lives in British Columbia and is an artist. This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 2, 2025. The Canadian Press
