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Koopmans Murder Trial

KOOPMANS VERDICT: Guilty of second degree murder

PENTICTON – A majority of the 12 jurors who on Saturday convicted John Ike Koopmans of two counts of second-degree murder believe he should serve consecutive prison sentences of at least 15 years.

KOOPMANS TRIAL: Key witnesses can’t be trusted: Defence

PENTICTON - The lawyer for John Koopmans attacked the credibility of key Crown witnesses—including one of the complainants—telling jurors they can’t be believed. Don Skogstad got his chance in Penticton Supreme Court today, April 7, to make some sense of six weeks of evidence the 12-member jury heard in the double murder trial. John Ike...

KOOPMANS TRIAL: Accused had no ill will toward shooting victim: Friend

PENTICTON - The last witness in the John Koopmans murder trial said he’d never seen the accused show any ill will towards victim Keith Wharton. Robert Hart, a friend of Koopmans, testified if Koopmans had guns, he was unaware of it, calling him an “even-tempered man” who he had never seen angry. The double murder...

KOOPMANS TRIAL: ‘You were there to settle a score:’ Crown

PENTICTON - Crown Prosecutor Frank Dubenski continued to pummel accused murderer John Koopmans with questions regarding Koopmans’ strange social behaviour the night three people were shot in Princeton. In Koopmans' third day on the stand in his own defence today, March 30, Dubenski demanded to know why he would walk for miles late in the...

KOOPMANS TRIAL: Court hears bizarre testimony from key witness

PENTICTON - Witness testimony in the Koopmans murder trial took on a decidedly different direction as a key witness took the stand for a second day. Bradley Martin continued his testimony today, March 5, in Penticton Supreme Court in the trial of John Ike Koopmans, who is charged with two counts of first degree murder and...