Man who killed three women in 2015 was prohibited from owning firearms inquest hears

A coroner's inquest is hearing that police could not trace where Basil Borutski got access to the shotgun he used to kill two of the three women he murdered on the same day in 2015.

Borutski, who had a known history of violence against women, killed Carol Culleton, Nathalie Warmerdam and Anastasia Kuzyk on their properties in the Ottawa Valley within the span of one hour on Sept. 22, 2015.

During his rampage, he strangled Culleton to death with a cable and shot Warmerdam and Kuzyk to death. 

The inquest is exploring the circumstances of the women's deaths and considering ways to better protect victims of intimate partner violence, particularly in rural communities.

Matt Storey, a chief firearms officer with the Ontario Provincial Police, told the inquiry today that Borutski was prohibited from possessing any firearms because of his past convictions in 2012 and 2014.

Storey said police were not able to trace where Borutski got access to the shotgun he used in the rampage because Canada's long-gun registry was abolished in 2011. 

Pamela Cross, a Canadian feminist lawyer and women's advocate, told The Sam Laprade Show on Thursday, June 16 that the inquest may be difficult to observe for many people, but the goal isn't to look back and lay blame. 

“The man who caused these deaths is in prison and he won't get out,” she said. “We need to understand what happened so that the jury can come up with recommendations for change in the future.”

Cross added the issues this inquest is hearing about are not unique to Renfrew County or the Ottawa Valley. 

“These are issues that happen everywhere, where women can't access the services they need, where women are afraid to call the police because they think that will not help them or the abuser will become more violent,” she said. 

Listen to the full interview with Pamela Cross below:

With files from CityNews Ottawa.