A coroner’s inquest into the deaths of three women killed by a man in 2015 has begun and is expected to explore the dynamics of gender-based, intimate partner violence and femicide in rural communities.
Nathalie Warmerdam, 48, Carol Culleton, 66, and Anastasia Kuzyk, 36, were killed on their properties in the Renfrew County area by Basil Borutski, a man who had a known history of violence against women.
All three murders took place on Sept. 22, 2015, in the space of less than an hour.
The inquest is exploring the circumstances of their deaths and is also considering several public policy issues directed at preventing future deaths and protecting victims of intimate partner violence in rural communities.
A daughter of one of the women killed by Borutski is testifying that there were warning signs about him long before the murders took place.
The inquest is expected to last three weeks and hear from approximately 30 witnesses.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2022.
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This story was produced with the financial assistance of the Meta and Canadian Press News Fellowship.
