The trial for the man accused of killing two brothers and leaving their bodies in the woods near Naramata is more than a year away.
Wade Cudmore, 34, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder back in June 2021 for the killing of Kamloops brothers Carlo and Erick Fryer. The Fryers' bodies were found by two hikers in a remote area near Naramata in May 2021.
Cudmore's trial has now been set for June 3, 2024. While the Crown said in discussions earlier this year that the “complex” trial could take up to six months, the trial has now been scheduled for three. Pretrial hearings are expected to begin in February 2024.
The matter was initially set in Penticton, but the trial will be heard at the Kelowna courthouse.
Cudmore remains in custody at this time.
Anthony Graham, 36, has also been charged in the Fryers' murders, but he remains out of custody. When police announced the charges back in June 2018, Graham was at large, and has yet to be found.
Prince George RCMP put out a missing persons report for Graham back in November 2021, stating he was last seen in the Prince George area, but had Okanagan connections. The report failed to mention Graham was wanted for double murder, something the Prince George RCMP later said was an “oversight.”
A month after the Fryer brothers were killed, Cudmore's mother, Kathy Richardson, was found dead in her Naramata home. While her death is being investigated as a homicide, no suspects have been publicly identified by the RCMP and no charges have been laid.
Police have said the killing of Carlo and Erick Fryer were “likely connected to local drug and gang activities,” but they were not believed to be connected to Lower Mainland gang conflict at the time.
