A 27-year-old Langley man has been found guilty of stabbing a friend to death on New Year’s Eve 2012.
On Thursday, a Supreme Court judge found Jason Terrence Brewer guilty of second-degree murder in the death of Cole Manning, 40, who was found dead in Brewer’s basement suite home.
A second-degree murder conviction carries an automatic sentence of life in prison. However, Brewer will learn at a later date when he will be eligible for parole. He appears next on Feb. 11.
During Brewer’s trial it was revealed that Manning had gone to Brewer’s house, where he was stabbed to death. His bloodied, naked body was found, face down, on Brewer’s bed.
From the beginning of the trial, Brewer has admitted to killing Manning, but pleaded not guilty, taking the stand to stay his actions were self-defense.
Both men were naked at the time of the attack. Brewer stabbed Manning almost two dozen times, leaving the kitchen knife in his victim’s neck. He then fled his Willoughby basement suite and met with a longtime friend, confessing what he had done.
That friend called 911.
Toxicology reports showed Manning had no drugs or alcohol in his system at the time of his death. Brewer also sent out several text messages before his arrest, some to his girlfriend at the time.
But it took tracking Brewer’s cellphone for police to find him. They were able to track him down nearly eight hours after the murder.
Police from both Langley and Abbotsford initiated a short pursuit and had to box him in on 264 Street to make the arrest.
Previously, Brewer was convicted of deliberately driving into oncoming traffic in 2009, causing a horrific six-vehicle crash on Highway 10, which caused permanent and devastating injuries to a man and a woman.
At that time he was on probation for robbing the Langley Mac’s store. His mom posted bail but then revoked it after he assaulted her with a knife.
In the case of the head-on crash Brewer originally pleaded guilty, because he said he was trying to commit suicide. He appealed to retract his guilty plea and won. However, a judge found him guilty anyway, sending him to prison for five years.
