Kyle Louie pleads guilty 

There will be no murder trial for Kyle Louie as the 24-year-old has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of his younger brother, Reece Louie.

The second-degree murder trial was scheduled to begin this week, but the accused suddenly pleaded guilty to the lesser charge. His sentencing is expected in May.

Kyle has been in custody since the incident on February 19, 2011, when 20-year-old Reece was found suffering from a stab wound outside his home on Black Sage Road in Oliver.

The accused was arrested that evening and charged with aggravated assault, which was later upgraded to murder when Reece died in hospital.

Kyle is the nephew of Osoyoos Indian Band Chief Clarence Louie. The chief previously told the media that the brothers had a history of conflict between them.

After Kyle’s plea on Monday, Chief Louie told The Province that every Indian band has social problems, including drug and alcohol issues.

 

Grandparents beware

Grandparents are being cautioned to not fall prey to so-called relatives who want their money.

The RCMP say that information that a fraudster needs to support his or her false identity is often provided by the grandparents themselves. Or, they get it from the Internet via family blogs, social media and genealogy websites.

Police warn seniors to be suspicious of anyone asking for money, and extra suspicious if the money is requested through a wire service. Seniors are advised to verify the caller’s identity with other family members.