Manitoba·NewA motion to be released from custody by a Manitoba man sentenced to life in prison after sending letter bombs to his ex-wife and two lawyers was dismissed Thursday, during a brief hearing where he repeatedly interrupted and tried to argue with the judge.Amsel calls decision, which comes roughly a month after he was denied parole, ‘a crime on its own’Caitlyn Gowriluk · CBC News · Posted: Sep 11, 2025 7:31 PM EDT | Last Updated: 1 minute agoGuido Amsel, now 58, was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years for the attempted murder of his ex-wife, Iris Amsel, and lawyers Maria Mitousis and George Orle in 2015. He was also sentenced to 12 years minus time served for an earlier attempt to murder his ex-wife in 2013. (Winnipeg Police Service/The Canadian Press)A Manitoba man sentenced to life in prison after sending letter bombs to his ex-wife and two lawyers had a motion for his release dismissed Thursday, during a brief hearing where he repeatedly interrupted and tried to argue with the judge.Guido Amsel represented himself at the Winnipeg hearing, where a judge dismissed a habeas corpus motion that argued Amsel’s ongoing detention is illegal and raised concerns about his convictions, including repeating allegations that evidence in his case was planted.Court of King’s Bench Justice Jeffrey Harris told Amsel he dismissed the application for reasons Crown attorney Jocelyne Ritchot outlined in her submissions, which included that Amsel had the opportunity to raise his concerns through an appeal but did not follow through with that process.”He’s a sentenced prisoner. He’s not being detained,” Ritchot said. “These are matters that should have been addressed by way of appeal. He’s trying to basically do an end-around with respect to the proper process of appealing his conviction.”Court heard Amsel was given direction on how to proceed with the appeal he filed after he was convicted in 2018, which included ordering transcripts. Amsel said he didn’t do that because he couldn’t pay for those transcripts, and the appeal was deemed abandoned.Ritchot also noted that in 2022, Amsel filed a similar motion to the one heard Thursday. It was also dismissed.The hearing comes roughly a month after Amsel’s application for parole was denied, in a report that found though he has generally behaved positively while incarcerated and participated in some programming, he shows no remorse for his actions and continues to believe he was set up by police and his ex-wife.The convicted mail bomber addressed court Thursday from the defence counsel table, with sheriff’s officers on either side of him.He interrupted the hearing several times and at points seemed agitated, including when the judge explained to Amsel that the way to address his concerns was through an appeal.”What criteria is that? Where is this coming from? Where is the case law? I’m sure she [Ritchot] came prepared, but she doesn’t have the case law for this,” Amsel said.”Well, she does have that case law,” Justice Harris replied, as Amsel started to interrupt.”I’m not arguing with you,” the judge said. “You’ve made your point. Sit down.”Amsel called the judge’s dismissal of his motion “a crime on its own.”‘I never murdered anybody’Amsel, now 58, was given a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years for the attempted murder of his ex-wife, Iris Amsel, and lawyers Maria Mitousis and George Orle in 2015. He was also sentenced to 12 years minus time served for an earlier attempt to murder his ex-wife in 2013.On Thursday, Amsel seemed unclear on the sentence he was given, saying he’d already served enough of his 12-year sentence to be released, and that a life sentence with no chance of parole for 10 years is for those convicted of second-degree murder. “I never murdered anybody. I was not charged for murder, I was not convicted for murder,” he said.In response, prosecutor Ritchot said “to be clear, I suppose … we’ve never alleged that he’s been convicted of second-degree murder.”I’ve provided your lordship with the disposition sheet. There are many charges for which he was found guilty. Second-degree [murder] isn’t one of them. Attempted murder is.”During Amsel’s trial, court heard he became so enraged over perceived mistreatment at the hands of his former wife and lawyers who had represented both sides of the couple in a dispute that he sent explosive devices to their places of employment through Canada Post in July 2015.Only one of the devices went off, causing Mitousis, who represented Amsel’s ex-wife in a lawsuit over an autobody shop the couple had owned a decade earlier, to lose her hand.Other letter bombs were found later that week at his former wife’s workplace and at a law firm that had represented Amsel in the money dispute. Police detonated both devices safely.Amsel’s trial also heard he had previously sent an explosive device to his ex-wife’s home in December 2013, but he wasn’t linked to the crime until the 2015 incidents.Her home, garage and vehicle were destroyed when it detonated while no one was around. There were no injuries as a result.ABOUT THE AUTHORCaitlyn Gowriluk has been writing for CBC Manitoba since 2019. Her work has also appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press, and in 2021 she was part of an award-winning team recognized by the Radio Television Digital News Association for its breaking news coverage of COVID-19 vaccines. Get in touch with her at caitlyn.gowriluk@cbc.ca.Follow Caitlyn Gowriluk on XWith files from The Canadian Press
Judge dismisses Winnipeg mail-bomber Guido Amsel’s bid for prison release
