Police charge Russell Kirkpatrick with attempted murder in cemetery sex assault

Pat McMahon Contributor
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Toronto Police have charged a man with attempted murder in connection with a sexual attack on a 61-year-old woman at Pine Hills Cemetery earlier this week.

Police say they arrested and charged 44-year-old Russell Benjamin Kirkpatrick of Toronto yesterday. He is also facing a charge of aggravated sexual assault. Investigators say the man was already known to police.

At a brief court appearance this morning, Mr. Kirkpatrick — a tall, gaunt man with stringy blond hair — appeared before Justice of the Peace Sylvia Hudson in a prison-issued orange jumpsuit splattered with blood. A publication ban was placed on the court appearance.

Police previously said the woman was dragged from the cemetery’s main path around 5 p.m. Monday, as she was visiting a loved one’s grave. She was assaulted and beaten unconscious.

Full story: Police charge Russell Kirkpatrick with attempted murder in cemetery sex assault | Posted Toronto | National Post