Charges laid in teen's death

Photo: Kiera Bourque Facebook

Bourque (R) and victim, Devon Blackmore

Penticton RCMP say charges against a young woman have been approved in relation to the death of a Penticton teen last year.

Kiera Bourque, 21, was arrested by police Tuesday and appeared in Penticton court on one count of manslaughter for the death of Devon Blackmore.

On April 2, 2017, police were called to a Penticton apartment to assist the BC Ambulance Service with the sudden death of a 17-year-old boy.

Blackmore's companion, Bourque, had called 911 reporting the teen was in medical distress. He died of a drug overdose, but the ensuing investigation led police to classify the incident as a homicide.

Search warrant records at the Penticton courthouse revealed earlier this year that Bourque allegedly told the responding officers she injected Blackmore with some of her morphine at his request to relieve pain.

The information and quotes contained in the search warrant document — called an Information to Obtain (ITO) — have not been proven in court.

“I had to do it for him, he doesn’t know how,” she allegedly told Const. Dixon.

A search warrant approved by a judge and carried out that same day recovered drug paraphernalia, empty pill bottles, prescription drugs, magic mushrooms and other personal belongings.

The Penticton RCMP announced in February they arrested and released a woman in relation to the teen's death, but did not name her as charges were not laid.

The fact that the homicide occurred was not revealed to the public until a year-end interview with Supt. Ted De Jager in Dec. 2017.

"Due to the sensitive nature of this case, and so not to compromise the investigation, little information was provided to the public at the time of the incident," said Const. James Grandy.

Bourque makes her next court appearance on June 20.