Keith Overholt guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted murder

Article content

Convicted killer Keith Overholt threw one last hissy fit.

Before learning his fate in a Hamilton courthouse, Overholt refused to leave his cell Tuesday morning before jury deliberations could kick off.

But it only took the afternoon to convict Overholt of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder.

He was convicted of stabbing 29-year-old Andrew Ainscow 37 times in a downtown Hamilton alley and the attempted murder of a woman and another man in a seven-hour homicidal frenzy in November 2020.

The victims were strangers, the attacks random and the prosecution suggested the motive was murder for the sake of murder. Overholt was “hunting humans,” prosecutor Robin Flumerfelt told the jury.

During deliberations, the jury was reportedly was hung up on two items: Was the killing of Ainscow pre-meditated or was it second-degree murder? In addition, the panel also tried to determine whether the violent assault on the first victim, the female, was aggravated assault or attempted murder.

Overholt was convicted on all counts and will be sentenced at a later date. A first-degree murder conviction carries with it an automatic life sentence.

On Nov. 9, 2020, Overholt embarked on a rampage of death:

— The blood lust kicked off around 6:30 p.m. when Overholt got off the curb and began striking a slight woman named Thu Thi Nguyen repeatedly in the head with a large wooden stick. She stood five-feet-tall and weighed less than 100 pounds. Only the intervention of a stranger saved her life.

— Overholt then changed outfits and later encountered Ainscow in an alley. He proceeded to stab him 37 times.

— He then stabbed a third stranger. Overholt’s violent handiwork was again disturbed by citizens honking and yelling at him as he attacked.

In his closing remarks on Monday, Flumerfelt described the violence as “random,” targeting “innocent and vulnerable victims.” The prosecutor said they could not defend themselves or fight back.

“He intended to kill Thi Nguyen at 300 York St., he intended to kill Andrew Ainscow and he intended to kill Joshua Stroud,” Flumerfelt said.

“The only difference with Andrew Ainscow is that Keith Overholt wasn’t interrupted, and the evidence is clear what Keith Overholt does when he isn’t interrupted.”

bhunter@postmedia.com

@HunterTOSun