'Senseless' BC killing earns no jail time and a conditional release to Kamloops

A BC man who pleaded guilty to manslaughter after stabbing a 72-year-old man in an elevator four years ago over a "minor altercation" will serve no time behind bars for the crime. Anthony Oliver Woods, 31, stabbed 72-year-old Alex Gortmaker with a knife to the chest. A provincial court judge ordered he spend another 12 months at the Vision Quest recovery facility in Logan Lake before spending the next year under curfew, likely in "second stage" housing in Kamloops. On Dec. 15, 2020, Gortmaker "slightly" pushed a drunk and high Anthony Oliver Woods as they moved between floors in the former Biltmore Hotel, a supportive housing site in Vancouver, according to the decision. Woods was with another unnamed person that afternoon, drinking and doing drugs in one of the suites. Around 2:30 p.m., Woods and the other person were "kicking and pounding" on doors in the hallway, prompting residents to complain to the manager. They then got into the elevator, where Gortmaker later entered on another floor. According to the decision https://www.canlii.org/en/bc/bcpc/doc/2024/2024bcpc183/2024bcpc183.html , Gortmaker said something to Woods and "slightly" pushed him. Woods revealed a knife and stabbed Gortmaker once near his left collar bone in response. At the fifth floor, Woods pushed Gortmaker from the elevator. The 72-year-old was bleeding and holding onto Woods, then fell to the floor once his attacker forced him out. Woods got back in, then went down to escape the building from a second-floor balcony. Witnesses who saw him said he "appeared frantic." Gortmaker died before he could be taken to hospital. Woods was arrested hours later and confessed to the stabbing while giving an "emotional" statement to police. He also expressed a desire to apologize to Gortmaker's family and wished it didn't happen, according to the decision. He was released without a charge or conditions. On Sept. 10, 2021, was charged and arrested, remaining in custody until he was released on bail to Vision Quest seven months later. He's remained there ever since, successfully going through treatment for mental health issues and addictions to alcohol, opioids and stimulants. Gortmaker's niece gave a statement to the court, describing her uncle as a "peaceful, loving man with a sense of humour," according to the decision. "I wish to convey to you today the profound and enduring impact the sudden and tragic loss of my beloved Uncle Alex. My Uncle Alex was brutally taken from us in a senseless act of violence. His life was stolen, his joy and sense of humour stolen. This leaves a void that will not ever be filled and scars that may never fully heal." Sandra Gortmaker's statement reads in part. Woods initially faced a murder charge, but he pleaded guilty in November 2022 to a reduced manslaughter charge, according to online court records. Prosecutors sought four years in prison, but while Provincial Court Judge Reginald P. Harris noted the stabbing was "disproportionate" and an "escalation" to the elevator interaction, he said Woods was "genuinely remorseful" as he sided with Woods' defence on Oct. 2. Harris said it was Woods' difficult upbringing, substance abuse, cognitive difficulties and positive rehabilitation progress that led him to agree with the defence, handing Woods a two-year conditional sentence, which excludes his previous time-served. Woods, a Gitxaala Nation man, was raised in foster care and has had a difficult upbringing. He has never held a steady job, relationship or housing in his adult life, according to the decision. His defence said he's "not a risk to the public" and noted that he did not reoffend while on bail or in the nine months before he was charged for killing Gortmaker. An assessment found he was a "moderate" risk to reoffend, but it was lower while in a treatment facility. He also wanted to avoid returning to Vancouver in order to keep from "old habits." Online court records show no previous criminal history in BC. Once his two-year conditional sentence is up, he will remain on probation for another three years. To contact a reporter for this story, email Levi Landry mailto:llandry@infonews.ca  or call 250-819-3723 or email the editor mailto:news@infonews.ca . You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom mailto:tips@infonews.ca  and be entered to win a monthly prize draw. We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. SUBSCRIBE to our awesome newsletter here https://infotel.ca/newsletter .