Murder charge officially laid following homicide in Nanaimo coffee shop

Nanaimo RCMP says a charge has officially been laid against a 29-year-old man in connection with a homicide that took place in a coffee shop over the weekend.

Police say that one count of second-degree murder has been laid against James Turok of Nanaimo for the role he is suspected to have played in the death of Eric Kutzner, which took place on Feb. 12.

The murder charge is in connection with the discovery of a deceased person at the Buzz Coffee house, located at 4890 Rutherford Rd.

On Saturday morning, an adult male was found dead inside the Buzz Coffee House by RCMP officers conducting a wellness check.

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Attending officers said Turok was located inside the business and taken into police custody immediately.

Vida Turok, the mother of the accused, said Monday in a message to CHEK News: “I am in shock and at this point, I have no idea what actually happened… All I know is James is in custody. I feel tremendous sadness for everyone concerned. My heart aches for the family of the victim and my son.”

Police say it’s a unique case as random attacks in the city are extremely rare.

“In my time and I’ve been in Nanaimo for a number of years I recall maybe one or two incidents but none that were random that led to a death,” said Const. Gary O’Brien, with Nanaimo RCMP.

Vida Turok said she hasn’t been able to talk to her son since he was taken into custody.

Forensic investigators spent Saturday and Sunday at the coffee shop again on Sunday searching for evidence, blocking off access to the coffee shop and other nearby businesses.

Turok has been remanded into police custody to await his next court appearance, which is scheduled for Feb. 21.

The investigation is currently ongoing and given that the matter is now before the courts, no further information will be released.

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