Triple homicide inquest turns to killer's possession of shotgun

The coroner's inquest examining the murders of three eastern Ontario women heard Thursday that federal laws have since tightened, which would have prevented the killer — a violent offender who was on a lifetime weapons ban — from possessing a shotgun used in the murders.

On Sept. 22, 2015, Basil Borutski strangled Carol Culleton and shot Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam at their homes in and around the community of Wilno, Ont. He was convicted of three counts of first-degree murder in a jury trial and remains in prison. 

The 2017 trial heard the killer told police he found the shotgun used in the murders under the floorboards of an old motorhome in a scrap yard. It was also learned that, despite a weapons ban as a condition of his probation, he still had a possession and acquisition (PAL) licence set to expire in 2017. 

"That licence should be seized by the courts or be in police custody already," Matt Storey, a firearms officer with Ontario's Chief Firearms Office, testified at the inquest on Thursday. 

The inquest, which began last week in Pembroke, Ont., entered its ninth day on Thursday as it heard that police were never able to verify Borutski's account of how he came by the gun.

"But because he had that card in his possession and it wasn't seized by police ... he could potentially, from person to person, possibly have purchased a firearm and ammunition business-wise," Storey said.

"He shouldn't have been able to because it would come back if they had checked his licence."

Storey said gun sales in 2015 did not require each party to prove they had a valid PAL. That changed when Bill C-71 came into effect last month, he said. Stores can either swipe a card or enter its information into a computer system.

Storey, while being questioned by the coroner's counsel, said it would "absolutely" make a difference for the swiping system to be legislatively required.

Testimony at the inquest continues.