Court proceedings were adjourned Friday for one of two men charged with attempted murder and kidnapping in connection with an incident at the Rudy Johnson Bridge earlier this month as everyone awaits the identification of a body found in the Fraser River Wednesday.
Jayson Gilbert, 25, currently faces two counts of attempted murder and two counts of kidnapping in relation to the bridge incident. He remains in custody and appeared in Williams Lake Provincial Court by video.
Defence lawyer, Paul McMurray, appearing by phone, said with the discovery of the body near the Sheep Creek Bridge on Wednesday, Aug. 28, his client’s case should be adjourned until after the results of the autopsy are revealed.
“I suggest we adjourn Mr. Gilbert to a date next week to either fix a date for bail or make an appearance on new information which may be sworn,” McMurray said.
Crown Counsel Paolo Kong said the autopsy is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 3.
Judge Karen Whonnock scheduled Gilbert’s next appearance for Sept. 11. to fix a date.
Gilbert’s co-accused, Michael Jerry Drynock, 23, remains in custody and is scheduled to appear in Williams Lake Provincial Court on Sept. 4.
Read more: RCMP continue to investigate Wednesday’s body recovery from Fraser River
Police were called to the Rudy Johnson Bridge Aug. 9. That incident and investigation, in which few details have been released, resulted in the attempted murder charges as well as a missing persons case.
Branton Regner has not been seen since the incident at the bridge Aug. 9. Members of the RCMP spend several days searching the river by water and by air for any signs of Regner in the days following his disappearance.
On Aug. 10, Williams Lake RCMP announced that Gilbert was in custody and charged with two counts of attempted murder.
Read more: Police release image of man missing after Rudy Johnson bridge incident and alleged attempted murder
Charges have not been laid yet in an Aug. 6 homicide, where Richard ‘Savage’ Duncan, 43, died from gun shot wounds.
Insp. Jeff Pelley, officer in charge of the Williams Lake RCMP detachment, said at the time preliminary indicators suggest the homicide and the Rudy Johnson Bridge incident may be linked.
Upon the recovery of the body in the Fraser River Wednesday, Pelley said the RCMP are reviewing all missing persons’ files as they go along with the BC Coroners Service work to confirm the identity of the deceased.
“We are aware of the most recent missing person investigation and the charges that have been laid and we are exhausting all possibilities to determine if there is any connection with these investigations,” Pelley said.
Anyone with information regarding these incidents are asked to contact the Williams Lake RCMP at 250- 392-6211 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800 222-8477.
Read more: Links probable between homicide, missing persons investigation in Williams Lake
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