A Manitoba judge ruled Thursday that search warrant documents pertaining to the October 2000 killing of Beverly Rowbotham in Selkirk must remain sealed for at least another year.
Several media outlets -- including the Free Press -- were seeking access based on the passage of time and the fact no arrests have been made.
Queen's Bench Justice Joan McKelvey said she was persuaded to keep potentially explosive documents out of view of the public after learning the RCMP are close to making a decision on possible charges.
Mike Luchenko, a prosecutor from B.C., told court last month that investigators have forwarded the case to an independent Crown attorney for review. He said they will "fish or cut bait" by June 30.
"The sealing order extension sought by the RCMP should be granted in the interests of protecting the ongoing investigation. To rule otherwise would subvert the ends of justice or unduly impair its proper administration," McKelvey said in her decision to grant a new one-year order.
She said the Crown recommendations will "hopefully lend themselves to some kind of resolution of this tragic murder."
Lawyer Robert Tapper, acting on behalf of the media outlets, said McKelvey has left the door open to revisit the sealing order before it expires.
"In reading between the lines, I think she is giving them one last kick at the can," Tapper said.
The Free Press succeeded in getting portions of the search warrants opened in 2006 by arguing there was a valid public interest. McKelvey restricted public access only to materials dealing with "core" forensic aspects of the case.
The documents revealed the RCMP immediately identified Rowbotham's husband, Mark Stobbe, as a suspect in her slaying, yet had been unable to gather enough evidence to file charges. Stobbe has always maintained his innocence.
Rowbotham, 42, was found dead inside her Ford Crown Victoria car in a gas station parking lot in Selkirk in the early morning of Oct. 25, 2000.
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