A West Kelowna man charged in the 2015 killing of his wife is in a Kelowna courtroom this week for a preliminary inquiry.
Kevin Costin, 58, was arrested May 26, 2017, and charged with second degree murder, arson and indignity to human remains in the death of his wife, 37-year-old Hazel Budiongan.
Budiongan was found dead inside her Boucherie Road home Nov. 4, 2015 after firefighters were called to knock down a blaze. When the smoke cleared firefighters found Budiongan’s body. Her death was determined to be a homicide in March 2016.
READ MORE: BUDIONGAN LEAVES BEHIND ONE SON
“The 18-month long investigation culminated in the identifying of the person alleged to be responsible for her death and charge approval being received from Crown counsel based on the investigations findings,” Insp. Anna Marie Mallard said in a press release, at the time.
A preliminary inquiry, which is where Crown has to demonstrate it has sufficient evidence to take the case to trial, got underway late last week. All evidence heard during this process is protected under a publication ban.
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