Killer of Sportscaster Arrested in Border Incident
A 51-year old former patient, previously convicted for the murder of prominent Ottawa sportscaster, Brian Smith, in 1995 is being held in a Buffalo area jail following an altercation with a Peace Bridge officer on November 30. Jeffrey R. Arenberg of Barrie, Ontario had been attempting to cross the international border as part of a commercial bus filled with Canadian passengers. He had earlier been refused admission on November 5 based on a history of drug convictions. When the officer attempted to search him for weapons, Arenberg allegedly punched the officer in the face. He is scheduled to appear for a detention hearing and has reportedly pled not guilty to the felony charge.
In 1995, Arenberg went to an Ottawa television station and gunned down Brian Smith, a popular broadcaster and former hockey pro who had just finished his 6 p.m. sports show. According to police, Arenberg had killed Smith due to delusions that television stations were broadcasting messages into his head. He was later diagnosed as a paranoid schizophrenic and was found by a judge to be “not criminally responsible” for the death of Smith. He was held in a psychiatric facility unti his release in 2004. The murder shocked Canada and galvanized political support for stronger legislation to commit potentially dangerous psychiatric patients to hospital. The new Ontario legislation, passed in 2000, was named Brian's law in Smith's honour and has served as a model for similar laws across the country.
Arenberg is expected to be held without bail. It is unclear at this point whether his public defender will seek an insanity defence plea.
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