Suspicious crate behind office déjà vu for lawyer maimed in 2015 bomb attack

The Winnipeg Police Service bomb squad converged on an Osborne Village law office Tuesday night, on the eve of an apparent parole hearing for the man convicted of mailing an explosive to the building in 2015.

The incident — which turned out to be a false alarm — happened just weeks after the 10-year anniversary of the explosion that seriously injured lawyer Maria Mitousis.

“Because of the events of July 3, 2015, we took this matter very seriously. Our primary concern is always the safety and security of our team, our clients, and our neighbours,” Mitousis said in an email statement Wednesday.

“We immediately contacted the authorities, who investigated and determined the item was not a threat. We are grateful for their prompt and professional response.”

Mitousis, who is now president of Mitousis Lemieux Howard Law Corporation on River Avenue, had recently started with the law company (formerly called Petersen King) in 2015 when an explosive placed in a tape recorder that had been mailed to her detonated when she pushed play, causing her to lose her right hand.

Guido Amsel, now 59, was convicted in 2018 on four counts of attempted murder for mailing four bombs, twice to his ex-wife and to Mitousis and another lawyer.

He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 10 years.

Crown prosecutors argued he had motive to commit the bombings because he was convinced his ex-wife had defrauded him and believed she was paying off the lawyers working on both sides of an ongoing legal dispute.

Amsel denied being responsible for the bombs during his trial, despite DNA evidence to the contrary.

Mitousis said police are still investigating the suspicious package, but at this point, there is no evidence to suggest it is related to Amsel, who remains in federal custody.

“Given his history of refusing to accept responsibility for his actions, we remain vigilant and cautious about any unusual activity. While we hope that the two incidents are unrelated, we are taking no chances,” she said.

“The incident yesterday underscores the importance of a vigilant and proactive approach to security. We believe that it is crucial to remain cautious to ensure the continued safety of our workplace.”

Amsel was not expected to be eligible for parole until 2035 — he was also sentenced in 2018 to 12-½ years for the first attempt to kill his ex-wife in 2013 (with time served, that term was reduced to seven years, to be completed before the life sentence went into effect).

However, Mitousis said he was scheduled to appear for a parole hearing on Wednesday afternoon.

It is unclear why Amsel was meeting for a parole hearing, and what kind of release he was seeking. A spokesperson for the Parole Board of Canada could not immediately clarify on Wednesday.

Offenders can receive several types of conditional release in the Canadian justice system, including full parole, day parole, statutory release and escorted temporary leaves for medical treatment, counselling or community service.

Mitousis said Amsel’s release was denied.

She described the timing of Tuesday’s incident as “particularly unsettling.”

Winnipeg Police Service Const. Claude Chancy said officers responded to a rear lane behind the 200 block of River Avenue at 6:46 p.m. and remained at the scene for about five hours.

Police established a perimeter and evacuated residents of an apartment building on the 200 block of Bell Avenue as a safety precaution, Chancy said in a statement.

“The bomb unit attended and deployed their robotic equipment to secure the package, which was ultimately determined to be empty,” he said. “The investigation is continuing and no additional information is available.”

The suspicious object was a large wooden crate placed against the rear, exterior wall of the law office.

Jonathan Mayo, a tenant at a nearby apartment building, noticed what he described as an “old chest that looked like it was from the 1800s” while on a walk Tuesday afternoon, but thought nothing of it until police approached him later that day while he was outside.

“One of the (officers) came up to me and told me to leave, because it could be dangerous, due to the fact that the law office has been bombed before,” he said Wednesday afternoon.

He wasn’t asked to leave his suite, but said another nearby apartment appeared to have been evacuated. He said he remembered the 2015 explosion.

“They flipped (the chest) over, they were looking at it for a while, so I don’t know if it was truly empty, but whatever it was wasn’t a threat, so they took the box and left,” he said.

Leslie Goertz watched from her apartment’s living room window as police blocked off the surrounding area and drones and a robot dog were brought in.

“I think, given the history of the law office, and that it has had a bomb there before, I think it was a justified response, to respond with lots of caution. You never know what might happen, or who might be retaliating for whatever reason,” Goertz said.

—With files from Malak Abas

tyler.searle@freepress.mb.ca