Still no arrests one year after murder at downtown Kamloops motel: police

It's been a year since a man was shot to death at a downtown Kamloops motel, but police say no suspects have been arrested despite an ongoing investigation.

On Feb. 13, 2021, Mounties responded to the Howard Johnson motel on Columbia Street motel for reports of shots fired.

RCMP said officers arrived and found a man in his 20's who was confirmed dead at the scene. The victim was later identified as Mikael Wayne Stewart, a 23-year-old with ties to Prince George.

According to police, the murder scene at the motel as well as two rooms at the Star Lodge were searched by RCMP with help of forensic teams. The case was deemed a homicide and the serious crime unit was called into investigate.

RCMP Const. Crystal Evelyn said both the victim and the suspected shooter were known to the RCMP, which prompted a warning to the community from police.

“At the time, Kamloops had been experiencing a steady increase in violence and disturbances related to low level drug dealing and debt collections,” Evelyn told Castanet Kamloops.

“The incident prompted police to encourage anybody who was in that lifestyle to please re-evaluate their choices and seek the help of people to get out of that lifestyle.”

According to Evelyn, no charges have been laid and the investigation is ongoing.

“Investigators are working on the file, every investigation is unique in the challenges it may present and the time required to complete it,” Evelyn said.

“It can be very complex based on a number of factors including how many people are involved, the evidence that needs to be collected, and so on. So you can't really provide a timeframe with how long it will take to conduct an investigation and make sure all the necessary components are acquired.”