JOHN Powers, 37, has been charged with second-degree murder in relation to the death of Jesse Kennedy in Mission last July.

On July 13 at 5:52 p.m., Mission RCMP were called to the 32500-block of Lougheed Highway. Officers discovered a 42-year-old man, later identified as Kennedy from Mission, suffering from a stab wound. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he succumbed to his injuries. A suspect was soon identified and taken into custody.

The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) took conduct of the investigation and continued to work closely in partnership with the Mission RCMP, the BC Coroners Service, the RCMP Integrated Forensic Identification Section (IFIS) and the RCMP Tactical Troop.

On August 25, Powers, who remained in custody, was charged with the second-degree murder of Kennedy.

“This charge is a direct result of the great work done by the members of the Mission RCMP and the IHIT investigative team,” said IHIT Sgt. Timothy Pierotti. “Anyone affected by this tragedy in need of help can contact the Mission RCMP’s Victim Services.”