Man found not guilty of 2nd-degree murder after cologne spray incident on TTC bus

Tefai Opoku-Boadu walked out of Toronto’s Superior Court of Justice Wednesday morning telling Global News he was “feeling good.”

Just minutes earlier, the 24-year-old Kitchener man was found not guilty of second-degree murder.

“I got acquitted. It’s been a long journey. You know I’m free now,” Opoku-Boadu said as he strode down Armoury Street, away from the courthouse.

Just over two years ago, Opoku-Boadu was arrested and charged with murdering 39-year-old Matthew Rumble, a father of seven children, after an altercation on a TTC bus that started after Opoku-Boadu sprayed cologne.

Justice Jennifer K. Penman found the Crown had not established beyond a reasonable doubt that Opoku-Boadu was not acting in self-defence. Penman summarized the evidence heard during the seven-day judge-alone trial in July in her reasons for judgement.

On June 25, 2024, Rumble and Opoku-Boadu crossed paths on a TTC bus making its way to Jane Street subway station.

Video surveillance shown at the trial from onboard the bus appeared to capture Opoku-Boadu spraying himself with perfume or cologne and then into the air around him, including in the direction of Rumble.

Rumble appeared to say something to Opoku-Boadu before Opoku-Boadu responded at Rumble, who stared straight ahead seemingly ignoring Opoku-Boadu. Opoku-Boadu then sprayed himself again.

At 5:50 p.m., as the bus pulled into Jane Station, Rumble exited the bus and appeared to say something to Opoku-Boado.

Rumble waited out on the platform outside the rear doors of the bus and when Opoku-Boadu got off, Rumble circled Opoku-Boadu, swung at him, and there was a fight.

Less than a minute later, Rumble collapsed to the ground, having been stabbed in the chest by Opoku-Boadu.

Opoku-Boadu ran from the scene, discarded the knife in a nearby parking lot and changed his clothing.

Crown prosecutors Levi Karademir and Theo Sarantis argued that Opoku-Boadu caused Rumble’s death, that he did so unlawfully and that he had the state of mind required for murder.

Opoku-Boadu did not testify. However, he did not deny that he caused Rumble’s death, but said that he did so in self-defence.