Over a year after the alleged homicide, a Penticton woman has been arrested in connection with the death of a 17-year-old boy last April.
Kiera Bourque, 21, has been charged with manslaughter in relation to the death, which did not become known to the public until December last year. It is considered by police to be one of four homicides in the Penticton area last year.
“Due to the sensitive nature of this case, and so not to compromise the investigation, little information was provided to the public at the time of the incident,” said Const. James Grandy in a Tuesday news release.
The boy’s companion, Kiera Bourque, had called 911 on April 2, 2017, reporting the boy was in medical distress. Upon arrival, paramedics and police found the man was unresponsive inside a Penticton-area residence.
Paramedics attempted to perform CPR on the boy, who was ultimately pronounced dead at 1 p.m. that day.
“Although initially believed that the man’s death was attributable to a medical condition, further information and evidence was obtained in August of 2017, which led RCMP investigators and the B.C. Coroners Service, to categorize his death as a homicide,” said Cpl. Dan Moskaluk.
At the end of more than a year-long investigation by the Penticton Regional Investigation Section, Bourque was arrested on Tuesday. She made an initial appearance in court Tuesday on one count of manslaughter, a charge approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service.
Court records online indicate Bourque appeared in court in court, but a bail hearing was adjourned by defence. Her next appearance is scheduled for June 20.
