Kelowna man convicted of killing Nelsonite appeals for new trial
By Nelson Daily Staff
A 20-year-old cold case of a former Nelson resident may be heading back to trial.
CBC reported Wednesday the Kelowna man convicted of killing Nelson’s Jennifer Cusworth, Neil George Snelson, has appealed to B.C. Court for a new trial.
Snelson was convicted of killing Cusworth in 2011 and handed a 15-year sentence.
Cusworth, a L.V. Rogers High School grad, was studying social work at Okanagan University College and went missing from a house party Kelowna on Oct.16, 1993.
Cusworth was never seen alive again. Her body was found in a ditch on Swamp Road, on the outskirts of Kelowna.
At the time, police said Snelson was one of the 150 people at the house party from which Cusworth disappeared.
According to the police, they had allegedly found DNA on an object at the murder scene matched with Snelson’s.
Fifteen years later improvements in DNA technology enabled investigators to find 43-year-old father of four.
Snelson’s lawyer argues the trial judge should not have allowed the jury to view a video of Snelson talking with RCMP investigators.
The Cusworths lived in Crescent Valley for a number of years while Jennifer, their only daughter, was going to high school in Nelson and Jean worked in the local school system as a principal.
Shortly before her death they moved to Victoria and Jennifer moved to Kelowna to attend Okanagan University College to study social work at age 19.
The B.C. Court of Appeal has reserved its decision until later this year.
