32 year old Kamloops man charged with murder

A Kamloops man has been charged in a fatal weekend stabbing.

James Dylan Sanford, 32, of Kamloops, was charged with second degree murder contrary to Section 235 Criminal Code, Kamloops RCMP said in a press release.

He remains remanded in custody and is expected to appear in court Monday, Sept. 14.

He is also currently charged with two counts of S. 5(1) CDSA - trafficking in a controlled substance (heroin/fentanyl) which are proceeding to Preliminary Inquiry in Kamloops on Oct. 6.

The victim, a 33 yr old male from Kamloops, is not yet being publicly identified. Next of kin notifications are still ongoing. Of note, the victim also had criminal charges before the court and was bound by release conditions that included related no contact conditions including not to attend the Acadian Motor Inn, the scene of this incident.

"This event can best be described as an ongoing conflict between associates which unfortunately culminated with a murder," Staff Sgt Simon Pillay, RCMP Plain Clothes Commander, said in a press release.

"Although Sanford is currently under charge for drug trafficking from an unrelated investigation, we do not believe this incident is related to drug trafficking or organized crime. The victim in this case also has criminal charges before the courts and was also on pre-trial release. One of his conditions was not to attend the Acadian Motor Inn, which is the scene of this crime. Both the victim and the accused are known to police."

Investigators are still working at the scene, following up tips and seeking additional witnesses.

"We believe the chain of events that led up to this murder began in the early morning hours, around 3 a.m. We request anyone who observed suspicious activity of any kind at the Acadian Motor Inn early Saturday morning to please contact the RCMP. Every detail helps us advance the understanding of this incident," Pillay said