Russia Nicholson and her mother Marilyn. Russia's body was found in a Kelowna orchard Oct. 11, 2017. She was 23 when she died.
Image Credit: Submitted
December 29, 2017 - 6:30 PM
KELOWNA – After a surprise revelation last week that the Penticton RCMP have been keeping a homicide from the public, Kelowna RCMP are confirming they have disclosed all local murders they know of that happened in the last year.
Police spokesperson Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says there has been a total of six deaths deemed as homicides in the Kelowna, West Kelowna and Lake Country areas in 2017.
The first homicide of the year happened April 1 when the body of Michael Madsen, 23, was found inside a burned out home on Stockwell Avenue.
Police say the investigation revealed Madsen's homicide was linked to the drug trade and organized crime but no suspects have been made public.
Joel James Pennell, born 1990, was killed in Kelowna’s second homicide of 2017 on McTaggert Road around 8:15 p.m. Sept. 1.
“Preliminary findings suggest that the incident was, in fact, a targeted attack,” Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says. “The victim, a 27-year-old West Kelowna man, who investigators believe lived a high risk lifestyle, was well known to police.”
The body of West Kelowna resident Russia Nicholson was found in a Kelowna orchard Oct. 11. Police say she was murdered and have released a photo of a vehicle involved in the investigation. No suspects have been announced.
Half of the Kelowna’s homicides happened just last week, when Clara Soledad Forman was found dead along with her two young daughters. Forman’s husband Jacob, born in 1983, is also the girls father and is charged with murder in all three deaths.
All of the listed homicides are currently under active investigation and the public should phone Kelowna RCMP or CrimeStoppers if they have any information about these or any other crimes.
There were five confirmed homicides in Kelowna in 2016 and three in 2015 with a fourth still considered suspicious.
Jacob and Clara Forman are seen in a family photo posted to Facebook.
Image Credit: Submitted
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News from © iNFOnews, 2017