A preliminary hearing is underway for the third man accused in the shooting death of Devin Pisch more than two years ago. 45 year old Thomas Sutton of Tumbler Ridge plead not guilty to second degree murder last winter, and the preliminary hearing will determine whether there is enough evidence to go to trial.
27 year old Pisch’s body was found in the woods of the Cutbank staging area after reports of shots fired around 9 p.m. on June 25th, 2014. An autopsy determined he died of a gunshot wound and was the victim of a homicide. A second man at the scene also received non-life threatening injuries.
Two arrests were made, but no murder charges laid. 37 year old Jerrid Rychard was charged with several firearms-related offences, and had also been involved in a June 2014 drug bust that turned up $50,000 worth of illicit drugs and a number of weapons. He plead guilty to some of the charges and received a four-and-a-half years prison sentence for both incidents.
35 year old Gregory Decker was also charged with firearms offences and was prohibited from owning any at the time. He plead guilty to two of his six charges and was handed a 30 month sentence for pointing a firearm and possession of a weapon while prohibited.
Sutton wasn’t charged until 16 months after Pisch’s death through an investigation between RCMP in Grande Prairie, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, and Tumbler Ridge.