Acquittal in 2014 Clinton homicide

May 2, 2018 | 3:39 PM

KAMLOOPS — The man accused in a 2014 killing in Clinton was acquitted in BC Supreme Court today.

28 year old Wyatt Boffa was charged with manslaughter in the death of 61 year old James Painter.

Painter was found dead in the Pine Ridge Mobile Home Park in Clinton on September 11, 2014.

While Crown Prosecutor Chris Balison had presented a video-taped confession to Justice Laura Gerow, she ruled it inadmissible in a hearing last week.

Balison says that left him without enough evidence to secure a conviction.

“The evidence left that we had available at the conclusion of the trial fell short of the Crown being able to establish all of the elements of the offense of manslaughter to the criminal standard, which is beyond a reasonable doubt,” said Balison.

“While there was some evidence Mr. Boffa was involved in the death of Mr. Painter, that is not the standard that is required to ground a conviction. Therefore, the Crown acknowledged in its closing submissions to Madame Justice Gerow that the evidence did fall short,” added Balison.