Crown relinquishes bid to keep $435K found in Kurt Churchill's home during murder probe

Rob Antle · CBC News

· Posted: Jul 11, 2025 4:30 AM EDT | Last Updated: July 11

The Crown has abandoned its efforts to support much than $435,000 seized by constabulary from Kurt Churchill's location successful the aftermath of a 2020 homicide successful St. John's.

Churchill was charged with execution successful narration to the decease of James Cody connected Craigmillar Avenue successful St. John's 5 years ago.

Last September, those charges against Churchill were stayed, aft his lawyers filed a palmy Jordan exertion implicit unfair proceedings delays. The Crown is appealing that decision.

After Cody's death, Royal Newfoundland Constabulary investigators executed a hunt warrant astatine Churchill's home, wherever they discovered hundreds of thousands of dollars successful cash. 

• Police recovered $434K successful currency successful location searched during Cody homicide probe

The Mounties past launched a wealth laundering investigation. It did not effect successful immoderate charges.

That acceptable up a ineligible conflict betwixt the Crown, which filed an exertion to support the money, and Churchill, who wanted to person it returned.

The substance went earlier a justice earlier this year, with respective much proceeding dates scheduled for this month.

But astatine provincial tribunal successful St. John's connected Wednesday, national Crown lawyer Elaine Reid said prosecutors and constabulary discussed the lawsuit betwixt those appearances.

"We noted that Mr. Churchill was not charged with immoderate offence successful narration to this peculiar money," Reid told the court.

"And peculiar things that were mentioned, determination were nary cause trafficking charges, nary grounds to enactment immoderate offence that was enactment earlier the court."

Reid said the due ineligible trial is for the Crown to amusement beyond a tenable uncertainty that the money they are seeking to person forfeited is "tainted by criminality."

Expert witnesser grounds astir Churchill's finances successful January raised "suspicion" and "concern" astir the money, Reid said, but the Crown doesn't judge it tin beryllium its assertion beyond a tenable doubt.

• Kurt Churchill walked distant from a execution charge. Now helium wants his currency back

At the erstwhile hearing, Churchill's lawyer Robby Ash referenced a fig of slope accounts the forensic accountant did not see successful her analysis, and flagged his client's concern successful cryptocurrency.

Reid noted some of those submissions successful advising the tribunal that the Crown was seeking to retreat its application.

The Crown besides consented to Churchill's exertion to person the wealth returned, which Judge James Walsh granted.

Reid told the tribunal that constabulary person power of the money, and the bid volition beryllium "actioned" aft a play of 30 days has expired, noting that determination whitethorn beryllium "other lawful claims" to the cash.

According to an RCMP affidavit filed astatine tribunal successful 2021, astir of the wealth seized was $20 bills — much than 14,000 of them. There were also astir 2,000 $50 notes and astir 500 bills successful the $100 denomination.

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