British Columbia

Man charged with 2nd-degree murder after 'highly visible event': Kelowna RCMP

A man has been charged with second-degree murder after allegedly assaulting a woman with a weapon Friday, according to Kelowna RCMP.

James Edward Plover is in custody after an alleged assault left one woman dead and another in hospital

A parking lot is marked off as a crime scene.
Police had initially responded to reports of an assault with a weapon and a hit and run in Kelowna, B.C., on Friday before Plover was charged with second-degree murder. (Brady Strachan/CBC)

Police in Kelowna, B.C., say a man arrested after a "highly visible and tragic event" in the city Friday has now been charged with second-degree murder. 

Kelowna RCMP say James Edward Plover has been in custody since he was arrested after a brief pursuit by officers who responded to reports of a "motor vehicle incident" and an alleged assault with a weapon involving two female victims. 

Mounties say one of the victims succumbed to her injuries, and the second victim is still in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.   

The suspect was known to the deceased victim, according to police.

Kelowna RCMP say the murder charge was approved by the B.C. Prosecution Service on Saturday, and Plover is due in court on July 10. 

Insp. Chris Goebel with Kelowna RCMP says the assault has had a "profound impact" on many people in the community, and first responders acted swiftly and professionally during the high-risk situation. 

Online court records show Plover was charged in June 2024 with uttering threats and assault by choking last year, and more charges were added the following month. Records also show he and the victim were involved in active family law litigation and also faced foreclosure proceedings launched by two separate banks.

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story said charges laid against Plover in June 2024 were stayed. While true, the story left the impression the charges had been dropped. In fact, the charges remained active and were simply moved to a new file when Crown charged Plover with two additional counts of uttering threats the following month.
    Jul 08, 2025 7:16 PM EDT