Kelowna father denies killing college student
By Nelson Daily Staff
Although the man accused of killing former L.V. Rogers graduate Jennifer Cusworth admits he was at the same party as her almost 20 years ago, he denied involvement in her murder, the CBC’s Brady Strachan reported.
Father of four Neil Snelson insisted in court Tuesday he was not part of the murder of 19-year-old Cusworth, then a Kelowna college student in October, 1993. The case has sat cold for 16 years.
He told the jury he had been drinking heavily that night, and admitted having sex with a woman from the party in the front seat of his truck.
Cusworth was last seen alive at a downtown house party in October 1993. Two days later, her body was found face-down in a ditch along Swamp Road in rural Kelowna.
He testified that while he initially told police he didn’t know who that woman was, he now thinks it might have been Cusworth.
The trail began Sept. 15
Forty-three year-old father of four, Neil George Snelson, is now facing trial on a charge of first-degree murder in relation to the death of Cusworth.
Former Nelson area residents and Jennifer’s parents, Jean and Terry Cusworth, are in Kelowna for the trial.
Cusworth, a graduate of LV Rogers who was studying social work at Okanagan University College, went missing from a house party Kelowna on Oct.16, 1993 and was never seen alive again.
Her body turned up in the ditch of a residential driveway 24-hours later and Kelowna RCMP had been investigating the incident for the past 18 years, until Snelson was arrested two years ago.
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.
- Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/story/2011/09/27/bc-snelson-takes-the-stand.html
See also
Cusworth cold case murder trial begins in Kelowna
- http://thenelsondaily.com/news/former-nelsonite-jennifer-cusworths-cold-case-murder-trial-begins-kelowna-court-13695
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