The man accused in a 2014 stabbing in Beacon Hill Park has been detained in a designated psychiatric hospital in B.C., and his disposition will be reviewed in approximately 12 months.
The B.C. Review Board made the order last month after Paul Cowie was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder on June 30, 2023.
On January 12, 2014, Victoria police were called to Beacon Hill Park for a report that a man had been stabbed several times.
Victoria police say the assault was interrupted by two witnesses and the suspect ran away.
The victim was taken to hospital and survived the attack but remained in hospital for an extended period with injuries to his head, face and chest.
Detectives and Forensic Identification Services officers conducted an extensive investigation which included the collection of DNA evidence and a public appeal with a sketch of the suspect.
In 2018, VicPD detectives completed a review of the historical investigation due to technological advances in DNA evidence collection.
In October of that year, the DNA profile of the suspect was submitted to be checked with the Combined DNA Index System, which was not available to investigators in 2014. The check resulted in a DNA match to Cowie.
After using DNA to identify Cowie as a suspect, Victoria police located him in Brandon, Man., where he was arrested in November of 2019.
Cowie was subsequently charged with aggravated assault by B.C. Crown Counsel.
“I’m incredibly proud of the effort and determination of our officers to identify the suspect in this investigation,” Victoria Police Chief Del Manak said in a news release. “Despite several years having passed since the incident, our officers remained focused on solving this file, and ultimately it was that prolonged effort, teamwork, and problem-solving that led to the arrest. This is also a great demonstration of coordination across sections at VicPD as well as with agencies both nationally and internationally, and the remarkable power of DNA technology.”
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