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Nanaimo coffee shop homicide victim remembered as ‘vibrant’ community member

Family identifies man who died as Eric Kutzner, who was 79
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Eric Kutzner, left, is presented with the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers from then-Gov. Gen. David Johnston in 2016. (Photo submitted)

Family members of the coffee shop employee who died in an alleged murder this past weekend want him to be remembered as someone who “truly cared” about his family and friends, and made new friends every day.

Eric Kutzner, who was 79, has been identified as the homicide victim at Buzz Coffee House in Nanaimo on Saturday, Feb. 13.

The family issued a statement via RCMP, saying Kutzner was a “vibrant” community member.

He was a longtime volunteer in Creston, B.C., where he was “a champion for the disabled,” and was awarded the Governor General’s Sovereign’s Medal for Volunteers in 2015. In Nanaimo, he was a director with the Woodgrove Senior Citizens Housing Society.

“Eric was a smiling face at the Buzz Coffee House every day in the morning, coming in to make sure we had fresh muffins and almond croissants,” the statement noted. “He truly cared about his family and friends and made new friends every day in his travels around Nanaimo. His family misses him terribly.”

The statement added that family won’t have any further comment on Kutzner or the case.

James Carey Turok, 29, was arrested at the scene and has been charged with second-degree murder after what police say was a random and tragic incident.

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editor@nanaimobulletin.com

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