A man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death a Vancouver senior in December 2020 is due in Vancouver Provincial Court for sentencing March 18-19.
Anthony Warren Woods, 30, was charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter in the death of Alex Gortmaker.
He pleaded guilty to manslaughter on Nov. 8, 2022.
The 72-year-old was stabbed to death at the Biltmore Hotel near Kingsway and East 12th Avenue, according to Vancouver police.
“Investigators believe there is no relationship between the victim and suspect,” VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin said at the time. “This is an unfortunate case where the victim and suspect had an altercation that tragically resulted in Mr. Gortmaker getting stabbed.”
Police were called to the area around 2:40 p.m. after receiving reports of a serious assault. They found Gortmaker with multiple stab wounds.
Officers and paramedics attempted to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The death marked the city's 19th homicide of the year.
Delays
On Feb. 8, Crown prosecutor Daniel Pruim asked Judge Reginald Harris for a psychiatric report on Woods to be updated.
Pruim said a report on Woods and fetal alcohol spectrum disorder they have been waiting on for a year “is finally completed.”
Defence lawyer Chris Johnson said he had the report and would share it with Pruim. It would then be shared with the person who would update the psychiatric report.
The issue of delays in psychiatric and other mental health reports is one that has plagued B.C.’s courts for some time.
