Castlegar homicide suspects request preliminary inquiry

Lawyers representing three men accused in a 2022 homicide in Castlegar, British Columbia, have requested a preliminary inquiry. The request comes as the legal process moves toward a potential trial regarding the death of Jean-Luc Noel Levesque, who was found dead outside a CIBC bank on Columbia Avenue.

Jesse Farmery faces a murder charge, while Wesley Poohachoff and Christopher Teather have been charged with manslaughter. The preliminary inquiry, which is estimated to last five days, will involve Crown counsel presenting witnesses for cross-examination to determine if there is sufficient evidence to proceed to a trial in the B.C. Supreme Court.

Due to court availability, the inquiry is expected to be held across the Castlegar, Nelson, and Rossland courthouses. The trio is scheduled to appear in court again on September 23 to establish dates for the proceedings.