Murder, manslaughter charges laid in 2022 death in B.C. Interior

Jean Luc Noel Levesque was found unresponsive near the 1800 block of Columbia Avenue in the West Kootenay city on Aug. 11, 2022. (Handout)

Mounties say three men are facing murder and manslaughter charges in connection with the 2022 killing of a 51-year-old man in Castlegar, B.C.

Jean‑Luc Noel Levesque was found unresponsive near the 1800 block of Columbia Avenue in the West Kootenay city on Aug. 11, 2022.

Investigators say Levesque was not known to be a resident of Castlegar and he likely travelled to the city prior to his death.

The Castlegar RCMP says three men were arrested Friday in connection with the slaying, which they believe was targeted.

The B.C. Prosecution Service has approved a second‑degree murder against Jesse Pierre Farmery, the RCMP said in a statement Monday. Co-accused Wesley Ryan Poohachoff and Christopher John Teather were each charged with one count of manslaughter.

Sgt. Monty Taylor of the Castlegar RCMP says the nearly four-year investigation was “of significant interest to the residents of Castlegar, and we recognize the impact it has had on the victim’s family, friends, and the broader community.”

Police have not released information about the cause of death or likely motive in the case. The RCMP said it would not release any further information as the matter is now before the courts.

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