TheColumbia Valley - Columbia Valley Pioneer

December 22, 2006
Invermere man guilty
of uttering threats
By Pioneer Staff
Invermere resident Kaspar Heiz
has been found guilty of uttering death
threats against his wife.
“Th is is an issue of credibility, and
I don’t believe anything Mr. Heiz has
said here today,” Adult Criminal Court
Judge Ron Webb said at the Invermere
Court House on December 19th.
He deferred sentencing until January
16, 2007. In the meantime, Mr.
Heiz will remain in custody.
Judge Webb said he wants to avoid
a repeat of past situations in which Mr.
Heiz has been released from jail, only
to reappear in the area and violate the
court order which says he must remain
away from his wife.
“Th is whole matter is troublesome,”
Judge Webb told the courtroom. “No
one can assess the risk. He will get out
of jail. You will just have to accept that
as a way of life.”
Th roughout more than three hours
of testimony during his trial, the court
heard that on September 9th Mr. Heiz
made a telephone call from a pay phone
in Radium Hot Springs to family friend
Margaret Zimmermann.
Mrs. Zimmerman testifi ed that Mr.
Heiz told her to tell his wife, Analise
Heiz, that if she refused to meet him in
two or three days, he would kill her.
Mrs. Zimmerman testifi ed that she
called to warn Analise. Her son Reito
Heiz, who was present at the time, said
they immediately called the police.
“Me and my mom went to police
and told them about the call, “ he said.
After statements were taken, Reito said
he and his mother took a drive up to
Radium Hot Springs hoping to fi nd
Mr. Heiz. “I basically wanted to talk to
him before he got to her,” he said.
Responding to cross-examination
by Mr. Heiz’s lawyer, Reito said the best
place for his mother to be was by his
side, but when they found his father in
Radium Hot Springs, he said he dialed
911. He then told his mother to drive
away while he went to confront his father.
“I asked him, ‘Why are you doing
this?’ ” Reito said. “He said he didn’t do
anything wrong.”
Reito went on to explain that his father
said he was going to kill his mother
and then kill himself, that he was going
to do it his way or no way. He said it
over and over, nine or ten times, Reito
said.
Mr. Heiz also threatened to “fl atten”
the family farm at 4383 Toby
Creek Road. “He said he would burn it
down or fl atten the farm so no one can
have it.”
“I was angry,” Reito Heiz said. “I
raised my voice at times. I told him if
he wanted to get to her to do this he
would have to get through me.”
By then, the court heard, RCMP
Constable David Gareau arrived on
the scene. When confronted by police,
Mr. Heiz ran, Constable Gareau told
the court. Th e offi cer gave chase during
which Mr. Heiz took a swing at the
offi cer, he said. Th e chase ended in the
bushes at the bottom of an embankment
a few hundred feet from where it
began.
After being pepper-sprayed, Cst.
Gareau testifi ed, Mr. Heiz submitted to
being handcuff ed and led away.
Mr. Heiz’s defense attorney, Barnim
Kluge, zeroed in on discrepancies such
as Reito’s statement in court that Mr.
Heiz threatened to “burn” the family
farm as opposed to his police statement
that Mr. Heiz threatened to “fl atten”
the family farm.
Taking the stand in his own defense,
Mr. Heiz said he called Mrs. Zimmermann,
but said he sought only to walk
the family’s dogs. Mr. Heiz denied making
the threats against his wife.
A German-Swiss translator employed
to help Mr. Heiz often made
questioning diffi cult, appearing himself
to have diffi culty undertanding and
asking for questions to be rephrased.
Although Mr. Heiz said he did not understand
enough English to make sense
of the testimony, many witnesses testifi
ed otherwise. Cst. Gareau testifi ed that
he once had an hour-long conversation
with Mr. Heiz in English while the two
were alone in a hospital waiting room.
Th e case is another in a string of
cases involving Mr. Heiz assaulting his
wife, uttering threats against her or their
common property. Th e judge asked that
defense counsel prepare a pre-sentencing
report on possible German-Swiss
language counselling opportunities for
Mr. Heiz.
Announcing a
new educational
opportunity for
children in the
Columbia Valley.
Elkhorn Ranch Ltd. is pleased to announce that
The Columbia Valley Pioneer • 17
Elkhorn College is now accepting applications of
interest for school placement beginning in September 2007.
The program will begin at the Primary level and it is
anticipated that a full k-12 program will eventually be
available preparing preparing students students for for world-wide world-wide post post secondary
secondary
opportunities.
This independent independent school school will will focus focus on on high high standards
standards
of achievement and discipline emphasizing respect and
character development.
Based on a traditional private school model, the schools
goals and objectives will be enhanced by:
• Small class sizes • A code of conduct
• Quality teachers • School uniforms
Elkhorn College will be operated as a non-profit society by
an independent Board of Directors who will be elected by
members of the society.
Persons interested in the longer term development
of the school or in teaching opportunities should
contact the organizers in writing at:
Elkhorn Ranch Ltd.
Box 128, Windermere, BC V0B2L0
achievement
discipline
respect
Persons interested in school placement for grades 1,
2 or 3 should also contact the
organizers at Elkhorn Ranch.
character
Elkhorn
C O L L E G E