Kelowna News

Terry and Jean Cusworth came to Kelowna this week with a new glimmer of hope, despite the fact that police have yet to find their daughter's killer.

Jennifer Cusworth, 19, was murdered in 1993 after attending a house party in Kelowna. Her body was found in a ditch off Swamp Rd.

Since the murder, Jennifer's parents have been revisiting Kelowna holding news conferences with the hopes that someone will come forward with information about their daughter's death.

On Tuesday, the Cusworth's were back in Kelowna in front of the TV cameras and radio microphones making another appeal and to announce that a new pair of eyes will soon be looking at the case.

The RCMP has asked retired Victoria cop John Farrell to have a look at the Cusworth murder. He specializes in cold case investigations and is known for taking a philisophical approach to unsolved crimes by 'thinking outside the box'.

Jean Cusworth says she's delighted to have Farrell on board.

"There hasn't been an independent formal review of Jen's case since 1998 and we believe that everything is there, we just need someone like John Farrell to pull it all together. We're very hopeful about this."

Farrell will launch his investigation in the New Year.

The Cusworth's also hinted that they might go 'outside the box' if the police investigation has run out of steam. That could include releasing a sketch of Jennifer's killer put together by a psychic.

"We're not going to put the sketch out there until the police tell us they've done everything they can."

But Kelowna's top cop, Superintendent Bill McKinnon is confident the case will be solved.

"I think it's important for everybody to know that we think this is a solvable case and we'll put everything we have into cracking it."

The Cusworths are convinced that whoever killed their daughter still lives in the community, but differ on if there were one or two killers.

"I believe there's one killer," says Jean. "Terry thinks there are two and so do the police, but I think there's only one."

And if Jennifer's killer hasn't been found, the Cusworths say they'll be back next year and the year after that.

"It's been 12 years, but we believe it's going to be solved. When we consulted a psychic, she told us it was going to be many years before this case was solved. We believe it will be solved. We know Jen's killer is one day going to have to face the consequences of what he's done."

Jennifer Cusworth would have turned 31 last April.

Photo collage of Jennifer Cusworth -- Kelly Hayes

Jean Cusworth's letters to Jen's killer.

Link: RCMP File On Jennifer Cusworth