Accused murderer spoke with pastor after body found, court hears

KELOWNA, B.C. – A pastor has told court an accused murderer sought his advice years after the body of his alleged victim was found in a ditch.

Lee Loveridge is associate pastor at First Lutheran Church and testified Friday he received a call from Neil Snelson on May 28, 2009, wanting to talk.

Snelson expressed concern that he was being followed by police and the only reason he could think of was because he attended a house party in 1993 with the murder victim, Jennifer Cusworth.

Loveridge told court Snelson was embarrassed about being unfaithful to his wife because he had had sex with an unknown woman at that party.

Loveridge said he told Snelson to tell the truth and that if he had nothing to hide, he had nothing to worry about.

Cusworth was found dead in a ditch after the house party both attended on Oct. 16, 1993.

A pathologist who examined her body testified Friday she may have been beaten with a crowbar or tire iron.

Dr. Ron Roy said there was a gash on the back of her head and hemorrhaging in her brain.

He told jurors a bruise on Cusworth’s neck suggested she’d been strangled.

Roy said Cusworth had consumed alcohol well above the legal limit, indicating she could have had difficulty defending herself against an attacker.

The trial has heard Snelson’s DNA matched evidence found at the crime scene.

Also on Friday, Cusworth’s uncle testified he was initially peeved when she failed to return home from the party.

Ed Morris said he dropped his niece off at a friend’s house the day before the party, and for the next two days, he and his wife waited for her return.

They reported her missing Oct. 17.

Morris said an officer told him a body had been found matching the description of his niece.

(CKFR)