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By Canadian Press/Global
2016 death on Okanagan Lake

Murder charge stayed in domestic death case

Jul 16, 2020 | 11:43 AM

The Crown has stayed a second-degree murder charge against a 63-year-old Lake Country man in the death of his wife.

Police charged Bert Westervelt nearly three years after his 56-year-old wife Arlene was originally believed to have drowned in a canoe outing on Okanagan Lake in 2016.

A preliminary hearing was supposed to begin Tuesday but the B-C Prosecution Service said it would no longer be pursuing the charge against him.

A spokesperson says the decision was based on a review of new information but did not provide any details.

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