The man charged in the 2014 killing of Chris Ausman appeared in court Thursday, via a live video feed from the Kamloops Regional Correction Centre.
Steven Randy Pirko, 23, is charged with second degree murder. He has obtained legal counsel since his Nov. 19 arrest, but the Crown needs time to review the file before the matter can move forward.
The file will be before the court again in three weeks, on Dec. 15.
Ausman's body was was discovered lying on the sidewalk along Highway 33 in the early hours of Jan. 25, 2014.
"From the early on-set of this investigation there were key factors to suggest that Christopher’s death was suspicious in nature, as such the Kelowna RCMP Serious Crime Unit assumed conduct of the investigation into his death," said Cpl. Jesse O'Donaghey, in a press release Monday, after news of the arrest had already leaked into the community.
Upon learning the news friends and family of Ausman took to his "In Loving Memory" page on Facebook and left comments about the relief and closure they're experiencing in light of the news. Hundreds of comments to that effect had been logged by day's end.
Pirko has prior convictions for theft, drug trafficking and parole violations.