A jury found Neil George Snelson guilty of one count of manslaughter in the death of 19-year-old Jennifer Cusworth in June. Photographer: Jennifer Stahn

BREAKING NEWS: Surprise twist in Snelson manslaughter trial

KAMLOOPS – Evidence in the Neil Snelson manslaughter trial came to an abrupt end yesterday when the defence called no evidence, essentially ending that portion of the trial.

The Crown completed its case Thursday, June 11 after a week-and-a-half and Snelson’s lawyer, Richard Fowler, opted not to put his client, or anyone else, on the stand.

The jury was dismissed until Monday to hear final arguments. Then the case will be left with the jury.

Snelson is charged with manslaughter in the 1993 death of 19-year-old Okanagan Community College student Jennifer Cusworth. She was found raped and beaten to death on Swamp Road in Kelowna.

Cusworth was drinking at a house party Oct 16, 1993 and, according to friends who testified at the trial, attempted to walk home. They never saw her again.

This is Snelson’s second trial in connection to her death.

To contact the reporter for this story, email Charlotte Helston at chelston@infonews.ca or call 250-309-5230. To contact the editor, email mjones@infonews.ca or call 250-718-2724.

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Marshall Jones

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Marshall may call West Kelowna home, but after 16 years in local news and 14 in the Okanagan, he knows better than to tell readers in other communities what is "news' to them. He relies on resident reporters to reflect their own community priorities and needs. As the newsroom leader, his job is making those reporters better, ensuring accuracy, fairness and meeting the highest standards of journalism.

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  1. Here’s to hoping he finally gets his just desserts. Time hasn’t been well to him, he looks old. Good. Hope his guilt has torn at him for ever. JEN will never grow old, have kids, grandkids,get a career fall in love. If you get off Neil, I hope you get hit by a bus, become a quadriplegic and have no one to care for you, then we can just dump your body in a ditch somewhere.