UPDATE: The 18-year-old suspect accused of murder has now been identified as Brandon Wellington. Another suspect, a 14 year old, cannot be named because of a routine publication ban protecting minors. The pair remains in police custody.
VERNON — Two teenagers have been arrested and charged with the second-degree murder of Jason Hardy, 42.
A 14-year-old boy and 18-year-old man were taken into RCMP custody Monday. Both are from the greater Vernon area.
Hardy’s body was found in Vernon’s Polson Park last week. At first investigators didn’t know exactly what kind of a death they were dealing with. However after an autopsy had been completed, RCMP were able to confirm foul play was a factor in Hardy’s death.
Read More: Body found in Vernon’s Polson Park was a homicide
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The RCMP consider this an ongoing investigation and anyone with information regarding the death of Jason Hardy is asked to contact Vernon police.
Jason Hardy’s sister, Terri Lynn Hardy, says she was very surprised by the news of the arrests.
“What am I thinking about a 14 and an 18-year-old? What can you think? I don’t know what to think,” she says.
Hardy’s sudden death has been very difficult on his family in Ontario, who still have a lot of unanswered questions about exactly what happened to their son and brother.
“The outpouring of support of everybody who knew Jay is just overwhelming,” she says. “We are just going to miss him, miss his laugh.”
READ MORE: Family grappling with news Vernon death was foul play
Terri Lynn Hardy is really thankful to local law enforcement for the work they’ve done investigating this case because she feels these arrests may mean the family will be able to get more answers.
She says her brother grew up in Ontario but moved to B.C.’s interior years ago and at various points had made his home in Grindrod and Sorrento. He did drywalling for a living but was not working at the time of his death.
“He was a great guy. He was always laughing. His laugh was contagious. He touched a lot of lives and everybody will remember him,” she says.
The teens were scheduled to make court appearances in Vernon Wednesday.
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