A 22-year-old man appeared in court Wednesday to face a murder charge in the death of a fellow inmate at a Surrey jail earlier this month.
Jordan Cole Burt has been charged with second-degree murder, following a fight with his cellmate at Surrey Pretrial Services Centre on Aug. 3.
Burt remains in custody.
The RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team announced the charge Wednesday afternoon, and also released the name of the 25-year-old victim. John Michael Murphy died of his injuries in hospital.
Around 7:30 p.m. Aug. 3, police were asked to respond to an altercation at the 57 Avenue centre. Corrections officers managed to separate the two men, according to the news release, but Murphy suffered extensive injuries. He was transported to hospital and died just before 1:30 a.m.
Police say the two men – both were awaiting court appearances on separate matters – did not know each other before they landed in jail.
“As this matter is now before the courts, the events and reasons that led up to the altercation cannot be released,” said Cpl. Meghan Foster in the release.
