Shortly after 10 this morning, a verdict of not guilty was handed down in the long-standing trial of Jack Winters.
This case started back in August of 2019 when a fatal collision in the RM of Dauphin claimed the lives of 6-year-old Oksana Dutchyshen and 4-year-old Quinn Dutchyshen.
The Honorable Justice Sandra Zinchuck explained that the DNA evidence and statements made by Jeff Thompson, the other occupant of the vehicle, led to her verdict of not guilty.
Justice Zinchuck pointed to the inconclusiveness of the DNA and the conflicting statements from Thompson as the main reason for her ruling.
The DNA evidence was inconclusive due to the potential for transfer during the crash, or even prior to it, as Winters regularly ate food in his car.
The statements that Thompson provided at the time of the crash conflicted with statements he presented to the police ten months later.
These two factors make determining who the driver of the vehicle was uncertain, creating reasonable doubt in the situation.
Justice Zinchuck determined that this reasonable doubt was adequate to give this ruling.
