POLICE – Son of Westsyde woman arrested, charged with her murder

The son of a Westsyde woman was arrested and charged today (Sept. 13, 2024) with her murder.

Jo-Anne Donovan’s son, 35-year-old Brandon Jeremiah Donovan of Kamloops, was arrested without incident. He is charged with one count of second-degree murder.

The arrest was made after the BC Prosecution Service approved a charge in the Kamloops RCMP detachment’s Serious Crime Unit’s homicide investigation, which began when the body of Jo-Anne Donovan, 57, was discovered near her Westsyde residence in March 2023.

She had been reported as missing to police about a week earlier.

“We are extremely pleased to have advanced this homicide investigation to the charge approval stage, which is a testament to the dedication and hard work of our SCU and support units,” said Supt. Jeff Pelley, Kamloops RCMP detachment’s officer in charge.

“Having these results in this length of time is admirable and exceptional given the number of other homicide and complex investigations they continue to advance concurrently.”

Sergeant Nestor Baird of the SCU noted the efforts of all the officers, units, and support staff involved in this investigation.

“They have worked diligently in gathering all available evidence, to submit a complete and thorough package for review and charge approval by the BC Prosecution Service, resulting in today’s arrest,” said Sgt. Baird.