The man accused of killing two people in a Vancouver highrise in 2017 has been found guilty of second-degree murder.
Leonard Landrick, 75, pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder charges in the stabbing deaths of 57-year-old Sandra McInnis and 51-year-old Neil Croker.
Despite the ruling, the judge did not discharge the jury. Instead, the jury was simply excused, meaning they may be reconvened at a later date.
That’s because the defence counsel for Landrick has asked the judge to not enter the guilty verdict because they want to present a defence of not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (NCRMD).
Crown disagreed, saying there is no foundation for NCRMD.
It’s now up to the judge to decide on next steps, and the guilty verdict is on hold until that decision is made.
Both the victims and the accused were residents of the Ocean Towers complex on Morton Avenue in Vancouver’s West End. McInnes had lived in the building for years and served on the co-op board, while Croker was the building’s caretaker.
Video evidence was played in court showing Landrick leaving the apartment lobby on the day of the murders, only to arrive hours later without his shirt on.
In three days of lengthy, meandering testimony earlier this month, Landrick claimed he had been out for a walk in the early hours of the morning, when he tripped and fell.
He told the court that’s why he disposed of his shirt and shoes, which were also found in a garbage bin by police investigators.
During his trial, Landrick testified that he had his drink spiked by McInnis and Croker several weeks before the murders and that Croker had sexually assaulted him.
Crown argued that the allegations, which have not been proven, were Landrick’s motive for stabbing the two victims.
— With files from Rumina Daya and Sarah MacDonald
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