Local

Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Accused killer calm and evasive with police

By: Mike McIntyre

Posted: 02/27/2013 1:00 AM

ONLY hours after he hit his wife at least 57 times in the head with a hammer, Miloslav Kapsik was in no mood to tell police what prompted his deadly rage.

That was the scenario given to jurors Tuesday as they watched a videotaped statement given by Kapsik, 63. He has pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder for the March 2010 slaying of his wife, Ludmila, 59.

The couple was married for 36 years and had no history of domestic violence.

Kapsik wants to be found not criminally responsible on the grounds he was suffering from a major mental illness and couldn't control, or appreciate, his violent actions. If successful, he would not go to prison, but would instead be placed under the care of medical officials who would determine his fate.

"I don't want to talk about it," Kapsik repeatedly stated during the interview. Two homicide investigators spent hours grilling him, questioning whether Ludmila had said or done something to provoke him. They also wondered how Kapsik could be so calm considering the brutality of the killing and the fact he admitted to spending more than an hour on the couch as his wife lay dying before calling 911.

"I wanted to cool down a little bit," he explained.

Ludmila was attacked inside their Jefferson Avenue apartment. Kapsik admits the couple was watching a hockey game on television when he suddenly got up, grabbed a hammer from the storage room and began hitting the woman from behind.

"I can't imagine the things you saw in there, to have that be the last memory of your wife," Winnipeg police Det.-Sgt. Wes Rommel said to Kapsik in the interview. "I don't think many people are going to be able to understand without some sort of explanation. A lot of anger comes out of this. A lot of anger."

Rommel asked Kapsik what he felt should happen to him for his crime.

"Up to a judge," Kapsik replied.

The Crown previously urged jurors to pay close attention to way Kapsik acted after his arrest, describing him as "calm, responsive to questions and coherent" throughout his dealings with police.

www.mikeoncrime.com

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition February 27, 2013 A6