The retrial of Boris Panovski, accused of murdering Toronto-area construction executive Donato Frigo in Hullet Marsh (outside of Clinton) in September 2014, kicked off yesterday (May 23) with Panovski pleading not guilty to first-degree murder and attempted murder.
The now 79-year-old former dog breeder was previously found guilty in a 2018 trial in Goderich but was granted a retrial three years later.
In her opening statement, Crown Attorney Kelsey Good recounted the events of September 13, 2014, when Frigo, 70, and his wife, Eva Willer-Frigo, were ambushed and shot while participating in a bird dog event in Huron County.
The Crown argued that Panovski meticulously planned the attack, which culminated in the fatal shooting of Frigo and the wounding of his wife. Evidence presented at the trial indicated that Panovski withdrew $10,000 and purchased a ticket to Macedonia the day after the shooting. He was arrested upon his return to Canada.
The first witness, OPP Identification Officer Jeffrey Myatt, testified about meeting a distraught Eva Willer-Frigo at the hospital shortly after the incident. Myatt is set to continue his testimony, detailing the evidence collected at the crime scene.
The trial, expected to last six weeks, will revisit the events and evidence of one of Huron County’s most high-profile homicides.
With a new defense lawyer and a judge-alone trial, Panovski continues to maintain his innocence.
Written by: B. Shakyaver