Shuswap car wash shooter not guilty of murder

A Kamloops jury has acquitted a man charged in the shooting death of a Scotch Creek man in 2021.

Paul Binder, born 1970, was accused of second-degree murder, but his lawyers argued the bullet that killed John Vance was either an accident or self-defence.

A 12-person jury returned after less than a day of deliberation to find Binder not guilty of murder or manslaughter.

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It was never suggested, throughout Binder’s trial, someone else shot Vance or that anything other than Binder’s bullet killed him.

Left for the jury to decide was whether the fatal shooting was a murder, accidental or justified self-defence. Binder’s lawyers told the jury the video evidence they were largely relying on was difficult to interpret and it could be seen differently on consecutive viewings.

“It’s been a long trial and a long process for Mr. Binder and his mom,” lawyer Jay Michi said. “We knew the jury had a lot to think about. There was a strong argument on the accident and strong arguments on self-defence and defence of property.”

Precisely how the jury came to find Binder not guilty will never be known.

Upon reading confirming to the court their findings, family of Binder and of Vance began crying and Vance’s family soon left the courtroom before the hearing was over.

Vance died June 25, 2021. He drove to Binder’s Scotch Creek car wash early that morning, parking his truck in the middle of three bays.

Why Vance was there wasn’t made clear during the trial, but what seemed clear by evidence shown to the jury was that Binder didn’t want him there.

Video surveillance showed the pair having a brief conversation outside and Binder returned to his house next door. Less than a minute later, he emerged carrying a 9 mm handgun.

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Rounding a corner to the backside of the car wash, they approached each other as Binder raised the handgun, barrel pointed to Vance.

Vance was empty-handed, though he had a sheathed machete on his hip, and Binder pulled the trigger as Vance is seen on surveillance video lunging toward him.

Whether Vance’s hands were on the gun or whether he was reaching for the gun isn’t clear. Binder appeared to jump back, while Vance moved backward with a gunshot wound to his chest.