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Shannon Murrin Goes Home

Shannon Murrin says he will sue the police who arrested him and charged him with killing Mindy Tran. And according to his lawyers, the issue of compensation will be discussed for the years their client spent in jail. A long time drifter, Murrin is spending his first night back home in Newfoundland, staying again at the house where he was raised. Here's the story they're watching on Newfoundland Television: [

Darrin Bent, reporting: "Members of the Murrin family waited anxiously at St. John's airport today. Shannon Murrin was returning home after being found not guilty yesterday of the murder of a young B.C. girl."

Shannon Murrin: "How are you doing, pop?"

Darrin Bent, reporting: "Eight-year old Mindy Tran went missing from her Kelowna home in 1994. A few months later her body was found buried in a park. The police investigation lead them to Shannon Murrin, who lived in the same area as the young girl and who had a criminal record. But after spending nearly five years in prison and after nearly being beaten to death by three men who questioned him allegedly on behalf of police, a jury found Shannon Murrin not guilty. Now, he's ready to fight back."

Shannon Murrin: "If I (did) something wrong then I expect to pay for it...this is incompetence by the RCMP from the beginning. They didn't try to find out who done it, they say, 'you done it'."

Darrin Bent, reporting: "After leaving the airport, Shannon Murrin along with family members took him home to see his mother who had been cooking a big welcome home meal."

Shannon Murrin's Mother: "I feel good. I am shaking...but I feel wonderful to have him home."

Darrin Bent, reporting: "At home, family and friends agree that the police made a mess of their investigation into the death of Mindy Tran. But they are just glad that Shannon is home."

Family friend: "I think it was all (bunk) from the beginning. You know I believe in our judicial system but I think who handles things is what complicates things."

Darrin Bent, reporting: "As Shannon Murrin sat down to his first home cooked meal in years, his father still couldn't believe he was back."

Shannon Murrin's Father: "That's him there alright."

Darrin Bent, reporting: "Shannon Murrin says he'll spend time with his family before going to look for a job. Murrin says he is determined to stay in Newfoundland for good, saying you'd have to shoot him to get him out of the province again. In the meantime, in British Columbia, his lawyers will be suing police for their handling of the case." NT

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Leaky Schools

They each cost some 25-million dollars to build. But today, less than five years after Coquitlam's two newest high schools were built, comes word that they're leaking. And it's going to cost millions of dollars to fix. Dawn Roberts has our top story. [

"When it comes to leaky condos, Coquitlam has its share. Thousands of homeowners are currently in the process of fixing the millions of dollars in repairs. Now there are new victims of the crisis - two secondary schools that are less than five years old.

Pinetree Secondary School is just two and a half years old. It was built in accordance with the building code - minimal overhangs and stucco exteriors - but moisture has seeped into the wall cavities. The repair cost: 2.6 million dollars. Riverside Secondary School has the same problem. Its bill: 800 thousand dollars.

The goal is to repair the schools with minimal impact on the students. Construction is expected to begin in May. Some classes at Pinetree will be relocated to neighboring Douglas College with September as a completion date. Meanwhile, the school board is closely monitoring its other schools for similar problems."

Anchor reads: "Four more new Coquitlam schools are scheduled to open in September. The buildings have already been assessed and there are no signs of leakage." BCTV

Controversial Commercial Sponsorship

The Vancouver School District is accepting a 350-thousand dollar grant from IBM to install new computers in five inner-city schools. [

The teacher's union had opposed a previous proposal, claiming it was part of the American firm's campaign to dramatically shake-up educational systems around the world.

But the teachers were not able to block the plan this time because their union has been boycotting school board committee meetings.

IBM maintains the grant comes with no strings attached. BCTV

Taxi Holdups

Vancouver police say two taxi drivers were held up last night in two separate robberies. [

Fortunately, neither cab driver was hurt, but the suspect was armed with a knife, and they're both understandably shaken up.

Police say both cab drivers described the suspect as an East Indian male.

The robberies are the latest in a string of cabbie hold-ups in Vancouver.

Last week, police released an audiotape of a man who called for a cab.

Police believe that caller may be responsible for the robberies.

If you have any information about these robberies, the police would like you to call 717-3349, extension 2200. BCTV

Murrin's Past

Throughout all the trouble that Shannon Murrin has found himself in he has never claimed to be a saint. In fact, when asked about the time he spent in jail awaiting the Tran murder trial, he once said that he'd probably have been behind bars anyway. Shannon Murrin has moved around a lot over the years and has spent more than his share of time under the scrutiny of police: [

Reg Hampton, reporting: "A day after being found not guilty of murder, Shannon Murrin arrives in Newfoundland where the 49-year old will try and return to normal life with his family. Murrin has been exonerated in the Mindy Tran killing.

But he has had several previous run-ins with the law. In 1987, he was sentenced to four years for a robbery in Newfoundland. In 1990, he was sentenced to a further nine months for assault causing bodily harm. In 1995, in Kelowna, he received a two year sentence for weapons charges. And in 1997, he was charged with Tran's murder. It is a count Murrin's now been cleared of and one he intends to put behind him.

But as Murrin tries to get his life back on track there is an unresolved matter to deal with in Edmonton. Police confirm Murrin was a resident of the Alberta capital when a little girl was abducted and killed. And police say, Murrin remains a suspect in that murder.

The loss of Corrine Gustavson is still unbearable for her family. The six-year old girl known as "Punky" was sexually assaulted and murdered in 1992. Her body was found between two trucks a couple of days after she was abducted from her home in Edmonton's Rundle Park area. The case remains unsolved and eight years after the killing, Punky's family is still desperate for answers."

Sgt. Bryan Boulanger, Edmonton Police, January 20: "I can confirm that the suspect in custody on other matters in British Columbia was known to have been reside, living in Edmonton at the time of Corrine Gustavson's murder and at this point we have yet to eliminate him as a suspect."

Reg Hampton, reporting: "Sgt. Boulanger says Murrin's name is among several which have surfaced. Others have been ruled out, but Murrin has not. Boulanger wouldn't comment on whether Murrin is the prime or only suspect because he doesn't want to jeopardize what he says is an "on going criminal investigation.

But Murrin's lawyer says the Forensic Science Service in Britain told him just yesterday DNA evidence has cleared Murrin in Gustavson's murder."

Paul McMurray, Murrin's lawyer: "They had done a comparison of sample recovered at the crime scene in the Gustavson case with samples obtained from Mr. Murrin in this case and had positively ruled him out."

Reg Hampton, reporting: "And something else McMurry points out, Murrin has never been charged with a sex crime. He's urging Edmonton police to clear Murrin's name in the Gustavson murder just as the courts have now done in Tran's death." BCTV

Troubled Trial

One question keeps coming up in regards to the Mindy Tran case: what went wrong or right depending on your point of view. Clearly the case against Murrin had some major holes in it. Brian Coxford has that part of the story: [

Brian Coxford, reporting: "Shannon Murrin left Supreme Court Monday morning a free man. But this innocent man left behind a number of unanswered questions about how his trial was handled.

Those questions: was the police investigation flawed? Was the DNA evidence confusing? Was the case too weak to go to trial? Should a convicted perjurer have been called as a key Crown witness?

Neal Hall, a veteran Vancouver Sun court reporter who has covered the Mindy Tran case from the beginning, also believes the trial was too long, and lengthy trials can be a distraction for jurors."

Neal Hall, Vancouver Sun court reporter: "It was a circumstantial case, but it was a circumstantial case with special problems. One was the jailhouse informant who was some sort of miracle worker and had confessions in eight previous trials...The new kind of DNA evidence that the public doesn't fully understand yet...And there was the problem with Tidsbury and the allegations against him."

Brian Coxford, reporting: "Gary Tidsbury was the lead investigator on the case. The former RCMP sergeant had encouraged some of Murrin's friends to get him to confess. The incident ended in a beating. At trial, Tidsbury's credibility was an issue, but the jury was never told an internal RCMP investigation cleared him of any wrongdoing."

Paul McMurray, Murrin's defence lawyer: "There are questions about the trial and the way it was handled that need to be answered...the police investigation...and whether or not that involves a public inquiry down the road remains to be seen..."

Brian Coxford, reporting: "You might say Jerry Barnaby was the 13th juror as court cases are his passion. He missed only a couple of trial days and as a concerned citizen he believes the Murrin trial had its problems."

Jerry Barnaby, court watcher: "I think it's a case for them to listen to all the evidence and they didn't get that. (You told us that there was a particular juror that was smiling at Murrin throughout the trial, did anyone else see that?) Yes. Tidsbury saw it and other investigators."

Brian Coxford, reporting: "In Canadian courts, a decision by the jury has to be unanimous and all twelve jurors decided Murrin was not guilty of Mindy Tran's murder." BCTV

Deceptive Car Salespeople

If you are stricken with an overwhelming feeling of dread when you shop for a car in greater Vancouver, a new national report says you have good reason to be worried. The report says the Lower Mainland is the worst place in Canada for deceptive car sales practices and as Tara Nelson, reports that has prompted the industry to take the unusual step of asking for government intervention. [

Jim Rybachuk, Zephyr Ford Lincoln: "We were actually surprised when it hit the news last night."

Tara Nelson, reporting: "The general sales manager at Vancouver's Zephyr Ford Lincoln is still in a bit of shock. On national TV Tuesday night, his dealership received a failing grade from the Automobile Protection Association.

A survey conducted by the [APAand profiled on CTV's W-5 shows more than 60 per cent of car dealers in Canada are failing to provide customers with fair treatment. In the Lower Mainland it's even worse. Eighty percent fail to make the grade."

Valerie McLean, Better Business Bureau: "I wasn't particularly surprised. This is not a revelation to us at the bureau because the automotive industry represents the greatest number of complaints to the [BBB. So it was not a revelation, not a surprise."

Tara Nelson, reporting: "Here's just some of the shocking situations APA staff found themselves in here, when trying to buy a car. One dealership said there would be a 139-dollar administration fee and a 300 dollar reputation fee. Another salesperson left the clients in the office eight times - that's a common high-pressure sales technique. And another salesperson was biased toward leasing and misrepresented one vehicle's lease incentives.

Back at Zephyr Ford, investigators complained a minivan featured in the paper wasn't even available. The salesperson said it had been sold a month earlier...but the general sales manager tells us that's not the case."

Jim Rybachuk, Zephyr Ford Lincoln: "What the Province (newspaper) does so that if we run the ad Friday and then again Monday we get a half price ad but we can't do any changes, but if we do a successful sale and sell a number of units, we can't make any changes."

Tara Nelson, reporting: "The Motor Dealer Standards Association is worried about the industry's reputation. It's calling on the government to create a council to monitor all sellers. Salespeople would have to take a course, follow a code of ethics and be licensed. Do you basically have to teach people how to be ethical?"

Earl Manning, Motor Dealer Standards Assoc.: "I think it's a matter of teaching responsibility, making sure everyone working at same minimal level of ethics and business professionalism."

Ujjal Dosanjh, attorney general: "What they're looking for I believe is self governing legislation...I think that's a good idea and I certainly would be prepared to take a look at it."

Tara Nelson, reporting: "So would the salesman we pitched the idea to."

Salesperson: "It would show consistency through all salespeople you then have a benchmark for everyone."

Salesperson: "I think it's a great idea for customer service and for your own good."

Tara Nelson, reporting: "It's an idea that's been kicking around for a while, but may get a test drive this year." BCTV

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Mistaken Identity Killing

A jury in Kamloops has convicted a man who said he shot his friend when he mistook him for a bear. [

Robert Birchall was originally charged with second-degree murder in the death of James Watson, but he was convicted of manslaughter.

Birchall was charged several months after Watson's body was found buried in a shallow grave near the Coquihalla highway.

Watson had been shot once in the back of the head. BCTV

Bus Driver Sentenced

A Lower Mainland tour bus driver has been sentenced to nine months in jail for a fatal hit and run accident in Victoria almost a year ago. [

Herman Willemse was sentenced yesterday in Victoria provincial court for the hit-and-run accident that killed 27-year old Michael Misanchuk and seriously injured his wife Samantha.

Willemse left the scene of the accident, but was later arrested when his bus was discovered in Richmond.

At that time, he claimed he didn't know he'd hit someone, but videotape from a security camera at a nearby pub showed he drove by the scene about an hour later.

In handing down the sentence, judge Michael Hubbard said he wanted to set a precedent to stop drivers from fleeing accident scenes.

But Michael Misanchuk's father doesn't think much of the sentence.

Earl Misanchuk says he's disillusioned with the justice system and wonders why a Victoria man was recently sentenced to 15 months in jail for beating a dog, while the man who killed his son only received a nine-month sentence. CHEK

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Air India Evidence Destroyed?

Did an agent for the Canadian Security Intelligence Service destroy key information in the Air India bombing in a turf war with the RCMP? [

That's what the Globe and Mail is reporting today.

The Globe says a CSIS officer involved in the investigation told them he destroyed hours of taped interviews with two sources rather than hand them over to the RCMP.

A powerful blast ripped through the Air India jet in June of 1985, killing all 329 people on board, most of them Canadians.

No charges have been laid but suspects have been identified.

The RCMP and CSIS ran separate investigations into the bombing at a cost of 26-million dollars.

But an RCMP spokesperson here in B.C. is now casting doubt on the Globe's report.

Corp. Grant Learned says CSIS has denied the story. Globe & Mail, BCTV

Calls For A National Organ Donor Registry

B.C.'s children's commissioner is demanding Ottawa set up a national organ donor registry now that a recent review has shown that a 10-year old girl died in 1998, waiting for a lung transplant. [

Paul Pallan says everything must be done to allow more organ transplants to take place.

Last year, the U.S. instituted a national donor program, but despite heavy lobbying by groups such as the B.C. Transplant Society, Ottawa hasn't taken similar action. BCTV

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East Coast Blizzard

A state of emergency is in effect in North Carolina as a result of a record-breaking winter storm that's sweeping through the region. [

An interstate highway has been closed, stranding some motorists without food or water for hours.

The National Guard has been called in to start clearing the streets.

Close to a metre of snow has fallen in this storm.

It's the worst of four storms to hit the Carolinas in a week.

Trains have been delayed and flights in and out of Charlotte have been cancelled until at least tomorrow.

That very same system has been lashing parts of Canada's east coast.

Environment Canada says more rain, freezing rain and snow is on the way today.

The system comes just two days after a blizzard dumped more than 50 centimeters of snow on the region. NBC, DNS

Winter Slams Into Europe

Winter has taken another run at Europe. [

The streets of Barcelona are covered in snow.

It's making life tough for commuters and has prompted a number of businesses to close.

In Turkey, the weather has meant more misery for the survivors of that country's earthquakes.

Tents collapsed, and entire refugee camps have been covered in a thick blanket of snow.

Meantime, schools and highways in Italy are closed after more snow and record low temperatures.

The European storm is expected to continue for the next few days. NBC

Mars Polar Lander May Have Called Home

Scientists had just about given up on the Mars polar lander, but there may still be hope. [

NASA scientists report hearing a weak radio signal that could have come from the missing craft.

They will now try to re-establish contact.

The lander was last heard from in December when it was about to enter Mars' atmosphere.

The 165-million dollar craft was set to study the red planet's climate. NBC

Burger King Pokemon Toy Chocking Death

In the U.S., the Burger King chain is on the defensive again, after another child apparently died after chocking on one of the restaurant's "Pokemon" toys. [

Burger King recalled the toys in the U.S. and Canada late last year, after a 13-month old California girl died.

But yesterday, a four-month old boy died in Indianapolis.

The problem isn't the toy itself, but the innocent-looking ball-shaped container.

It can be pulled apart and in both deaths, half of the ball became wedged over the child's nose and mouth.

The balls are about seven centimetres wide and were wrapped in packaging that says "recommended for all ages."

Police in Indianapolis say the family of the four- month- old victim had no idea the toy had been recalled.

Officials urge anyone in Canada or the U.S. who may still have an old Burger King Pokemon toy to either return it to a Burger King restaurant or throw it away immediately. NBC

Elian Reunited With His Grandmothers

That six-year old Cuban shipwreck survivor was finally reunited with his grandmothers in Miami today after intense negotiations. [

The reunion of Elian Gonzalez and his grandmothers took place at a neutral site that had been arranged by the U.S. government.

The grandmothers flew to America from Cuba to press for his return, but they left today's meeting after about an hour and a half making no comment. NBC