Boris Panovski found not guilty in retrial of Don Frigo shooting death

A St. Thomas judge has found Boris Panovski not guilty of one count of first-degree murder in the death of Don Frigo. He was also found not guilty of aggravated assault in the shooting of Frigo’s wife, Eva Willer Frigo, in September 2014 at Hullet Marsh in Clinton, Ont.

Panovski, aged 80, was granted a retrial this year after being incarcerated for nearly ten years following the first trial.

In his decision, Justice Marc Garson stated the following:

“There is clearly strong circumstantial evidence, it is however not strong enough.”

“Am I suspicious? Absolutely. Do I think he may have been involved in the shooting? I do. Was he in the area? He was. Am I sure he was the shooter? I am not. Am I sure his car was in lot 40589 at the time of the shooting? I am not. Has the crown proven his identity as the shooter beyond a reasonable doubt? They have not. For the above reasons I find the accused not guilty on both counts.”

“My client is now petrified for his own safety based on some concerns he’s had over his own theory of the homicide,” said defense attorney Margaret Barnes. “Where does he go from here? He has to rebuild the ten years of his life that he lost.”

“He is a free man, as of this moment,” she added. “He is feeling overwhelmed.”