The jury in the first degree murder trial of a Kelowna man continues their deliberations on Tuesday.
The Crown and defense wrapped up their arguments in the case of Neil Snelson, 44, on Monday.
Snelson is accused of murdering Jennifer Cusworth, then 18, in 1993.
Cusworth was clubbed to death and her body was fully clothed when it was found.
Snelson, a married man with four children, claims he met Cusworth at a house party, had unprotected sex with her in his truck and casually walked back to the party.
He claims he never saw the teenager again.
He went on to say, “There is complete lack of evidence of sexual assault.”
During the trial, Snelson testified that, despite widespread media coverage of the murder, it was many years before he even considered the possibility that the girl he met at the party was Cusworth.
According to Gray, “Snelson was afraid the RCMP would jump to the conclusion that he’d killed her.”
Gray also implied that it was unlikely the real killer was still in the Okanagan, saying “If he had killed Cusworth, why would Snelson remain in Kelowna for 16 years?”
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Meanwhile, Crown Counsel Iain Currie said Snelson repeatedly tried to conceal details about his personal life at the time Cusworth was killed, something only a killer would want to do.
“There is only one person in the whole world who had a motive to kill Jennifer Cusworth,” said Currie. “The motive was sex. An attractive young woman was picked off the streets of Kelowna and murdered. It wasn’t random.”
After he was arrested and charged with first degree murder, the RCMP asked Snelson if he was going to plead guilty.
He told them, “I haven’t decided yet.”
Currie told the jury, “An innocent person would immediately deny the accusation.”
Defense counsel needed less than half an hour to make his final submissions while the Crown needed more than two hours to wrap up the case against Snelson.
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