Murder charge in August death of senior

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This article was published 07/12/2022 (749 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Winnipeg police have arrested and charged a suspect in the slaying of an elderly man in his Cathedral Avenue home nearly four months ago.

Officers were called Aug. 16 for a suspicious death on the 600 block, near McKenzie Street, where they discovered the body of Pajo (Paul) Radocaj, 83.

On Tuesday, Roman Demczyszak, 60, of Winnipeg, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder

A review of court records show Demczyszak has no prior criminal convictions in Manitoba.

Winnipeg Police Service spokeswoman Const. Dani McKinnon said Thursday she could not reveal expanded details of the “alarming” slaying of a senior citizen, but noted the killing was not random.

“They were previously unknown to each other but became acquainted through an mutual acquaintance that lived nearby — basically, someone who lived nearby was the common denominator,” she said.

McKinnon added Radocaj had not been shot nor stabbed, but could not expand further on how he had been killed.

In August, the front of the one-storey beige stucco home was blocked off with police tape, while a cruiser car was parked on the boulevard.

The backyard was also taped off. A uniformed officer stood watch over a gravel parking pad overgrown with weeds. The parking space was marked with five numbered evidence placards.

That month, most neighbours declined to comment or did not answer their doors when the Free Press knocked.

At the time, a neighbour from across the street said he was surprised to see police on the street, calling it a “mellow neighbourhood.”

erik.pindera@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @erik_pindera