Jan Goro, a Banff senior accused of murdering a man in Ontario 40 years ago, is a free man after being locked away for the last three-and-a-half years.
An Ontario Superior Court judge in Milton granted a stay of proceedings – a ruling that halts further legal process in a trial – on Oct. 28 based on an application by Goro’s defence counsel.
Goro, who was charged in April 2013 with the second-degree murder of a 54-year-old bookkeeper in Ontario in 1976, maintains his innocence, saying he didn’t even know the man he was accused of killing.
“I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill anybody,” Goro, who’s almost 70 years old, told the Outlook earlier this week.
“I was in jail for nothing,” he said, adding there were times he was hit and punched while in Maplehurst Detention Centre for the last three-and-a-half years.
In 2014, Goro was committed to stand trial for the second-degree murder of Donald Ross McAvella, who was a 54-year-old bookkeeper from Burlington, Ont., at the time of his death.
The body of McAvella was discovered in his Burlington apartment on April 26, 1976. He died as a result of multiple stab wounds. Witnesses told police they overheard an argument and a series of screams during the early morning hours.
Numerous police interviews were undertaken, and physical evidence was collected at the scene, including a knife, but the case remained cold for 37 years. New information that became available to the case led to Goro’s high-profile arrest in Banff in 2013.
The judge’s written decision has not yet been released, so the Outlook cannot fully report on the judge’s reasons for letting Goro out of prison.
Detective-Constable Craig Smith of the Halton Regional Police Services’ intelligence unit, said the charge of second-degree murder against Goro was stayed, but not withdrawn.
“For all intents and purposes, Mr. Goro is free. He’s not charged with any criminal offence right now,” he said.
“Having said that, the Crown will look at the reasons provided by the judge for granting the stay and we will decide whether to appeal or not,” he said, noting he couldn’t comment further due to the possibility of an appeal.
Goro worked as a janitor for the Whyte Museum of the Canadian Rockies for about 18 years before his arrest and lived with his cat in an apartment owned by the museum. He’d lived in Banff for about 30 years.
Little is known about the senior as he lived a solitary life. He generally kept to himself and was often seen shoveling snow in winter outside the Whyte Museum and tending to the grounds during summer.
Originally from Slovakia, Goro moved to Canada in 1969. He is the youngest in his family, with a brother and sister still alive. He never married or had children.
Goro said police have treated him very well throughout, but he now has a greater respect for life than he did before his arrest based on his time locked away.
“It was a very, very terrible life when you’re in jail,” he said. “I was hit or punched a couple of times for no reason.”
Goro said he believes the judge granted his release because there was simply not enough evidence, saying he understands someone else confessed to the crime, and has since passed away.
As well, he said, a man who had been a friend for 30 years eventually told police that Goro had confessed to the crime in order to get a financial reward that was being offered. He said that led to his arrest.
“I didn’t confess to anyone,” he said. “Even if I did it, I wouldn’t be telling anybody. That would be crazy. I didn’t kill anybody.”
Goro did return briefly to Banff last week, but decided to move on to British Columbia to start a new life.
“I don’t want to stay in Banff because lots of people know about my situation,” he said. “I’m a little bit older and don’t want people thinking there’s a guy there who was charged with murder.”
