Kamloops man accused of killing his mother elects trial by judge and jury

Photo: RCMP

Jo-Anne Donovan

A Kamloops man accused of murdering his mother has elected trial by judge and jury.

Brandon Donovan, 36, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of his mother. Police said Jo-Anne Donovan, 57, was last seen alive on March 13, 2023.

Her body was discovered nine days later near the home she shared with her son in Warren’s Mobile Home Park on Westsyde Road.

An autopsy confirmed she was the victim of a homicide. Brandon Donovan was arrested and charged last fall.

In court on Thursday, defence lawyer Matt Ford said Donovan wants to be tried by a judge and jury in B.C. Supreme Court.

Few details known

Police have revealed little about the slaying. When Jo-Anne Donovan was reported missing, they said her vehicle was located in the driveway of the home she shared with her son.

Mounties said they conducted forensic searches of the residence and vehicle in the weeks that followed.

Speaking to Castanet last spring, on the one-year anniversary of his mother’s disappearance, Brandon Donovan said he wanted to bring awareness to her murder in an effort to find out what happened. He was still living in the Westsyde Road trailer.

Donovan was granted bail in January, with conditions requiring he stay away from Crown witnesses in the case and abide by a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew at a residential treatment facility in Surrey. He is also prohibited from possessing weapons and was ordered to surrender his passport to police.

Lawyers will return to court on Feb. 20 to set a date for Donovan’s preliminary inquiry — a hearing in provincial court to determine whether the Crown has enough evidence to proceed to trial.

Photo: KTW file

Warren's Mobile Home Park on Westsyde Road, where Jo-Anne Donovan lived with her son.