A pre-trial conference was held in BC Supreme Court in Chilliwack Thursday for the man charged with an alleged murder in Yarrow in February 2016.
Clayton Warkentin is charged with the murder of a 51-year-old woman who is yet to be named, but who has been identified as his mother on social media by individuals familiar with the family.
A publication ban prevents The Progress from reporting details of the pre-trial conference or the preliminary inquiry scheduled for next month.
• READ MORE: First degree murder charge laid in Yarrow woman’s death
It was during the evening of Feb. 24 and early morning hours of Feb. 25 in 2016 when Chilliwack RCMP attended a residence in Yarrow after receiving a request to check the well-being of a woman living at that location.
The officer attending the scene located a woman who was deceased, according to the RCMP’s Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT). Warkentin was arrested a little over a week later.
An IHIT spokesperson said at the time the suspect and the victim knew each other, and the incident appears to be domestic in nature.
“Public safety was paramount in this investigation,” IHIT media relations officer Sgt. Stephanie Ashton said in 2016. “This is a situation where investigators working in partnership with UFVRD RCMP were able to put the pieces together and in just over one week obtain the grounds to make an arrest.”
At his first court appearance in March 2016, Warkentin looked sullen and tired. The then 19-year-old wore a black, long-sleeve shirt in the prisoner’s box, the word “Family” tattooed on the left side of his neck. He made no eye contact with the group of approximately 10 people who were in the courtroom for his appearance.
The physically fit young man was active on social media, Instagram and Facebook, up until January 2016 mostly posting selfies of his upper body and his tattoos. In addition to the “Family” neck tattoo, Warkentin has “Love It Kill It” tattooed across his chest.
On Jan. 16, 2016, he posted a photo of himself on Instagram with the words: “The single word ‘Family’ means a lot to me, your born into a family but over the years of your life you meet people and start to care and trust them, they become more then just friends, but become your Family #loveitkillit #TYB #family #tribal #tribaltattoo.”
On Jan. 6, 2016, he posted: “Everything was taken from me, my money my health and just who I am, I suffered from depression and wouldn’t be here today if it wasn’t for the people I have in my life who made me happy, motivated me and got me back on my feet, to all of you I met from the beginning till now I say thank you, you all helped me in your own ways #loveitkillit #TYB.”
@PeeJayAitch
paul.henderson@theprogress.com
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