The 23-year-old man charged in the second degree murder of a pastor’s son is expected to be back in court Tuesday.
Jesse River Hill, 23, of Surrey is scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court for a bail hearing.
He was arrested Oct. 2 for the murder of 21-year-old Taylor Johnson of Delta.
Hill also faces charges of break and enter with intent, disguise with intent and discharge of a firearm with intent.
Johnson was found shot to death on Feb. 26 in a 200 Street home in Fernridge, which contained a grow-op. Johnson was the caretaker of the grow-op and Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) is saying the motive for the murder is a grow rip.
“The accused and Taylor did not know each other,” said IHIT’s Sgt. Jennifer Pound at the time of the arrest. “This was a senseless act.”
Taylor’s parents Paul and Wendi spoke to the media about their son at a press conference held Oct. 3.
“It’s a horrific experience losing a child, but when you throw in the word murder it brings in terror,” said Paul, a pastor at South Delta Baptist Church.
Pound said Johnson was a “good kid.
“He was naive and made a bad decision that cost him his life,” said Pound.
He was found dead in the home, in the 2000 block of 200 Street, after Langley RCMP received a call asking them to check on the wellbeing of a man staying at the residence. When they attended, they found him dead, and also found a marijuana grow-op on the property.
Taylor’s parents said they had questioned him about some of the new friends he had been around.
“He was very trusting and had a lot of compassion for others,” said Paul.
Hill doesn’t have an extensive criminal background.
In May 2012, Hill was charged with robbery. He also was found guilty of breaching conditions in 2010.
