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Man accused in Langley murder weeks after Kamloops murder charge dropped

Close-up photo of emergency lights on a police car.
FILE PHOTO/iNFOnews.ca

A 37-year-old man is facing another accusation of murder just weeks after prosecutors stayed his murder charge in Kamloops.

Justin Hopkins-Jones was behind bars just days after a Langley man died of gunshot wounds on May 26.

Police say he and the victim knew each other and, now facing a second-degree murder charge, he’s expected to appear in court this week.

“Despite the complexity of investigation, (Integrated Homicide Investigation Team) investigators were able to quickly identify and locate the accused,” RCMP Sgt. Freda Fong said in a June 2 news release.

Just weeks ago, Hopkins-Jones was facing the same charge after the death of Jason Pinette, a 39-year-old man who was attacked outside a Kamloops homeless shelter.

Hopkins-Jones was charged, Oct. 10, two weeks after Pinette was taken to hospital for what police described as a “senseless attack.” Pinette died in hospital and Hopkins-Jones was charged.

Prosecutors did not described what changes occurred that led them to stay the charge in March.

He’ll appear in court on June 5 for his first appearance on the new second-degree murder charge.

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Levi Landry

Levi is a recent graduate of the Communications, Culture, & Journalism program at Okanagan College and is now based in Kamloops. After living in the BC for over four years, he finds the blue collar and neighbourly environment in the Thompson reminds him of home in Saskatchewan. Levi, who has previously been published in Kelowna’s Daily Courier, is passionate about stories focussed on both social issues and peoples’ experiences in their local community. If you have a story or tips to share, you can reach Levi at 250 819 3723 or email LLandry@infonews.ca.

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