First-degree murder charges laid 10 years after death of Tura McCarty in the Okanagan

Two people have been charged in connection to the death of Tura McCarty a little more than a decade ago.

The 22 year old from Summerland was found dead in the driver’s seat of his 1999 Jeep Cherokee on Jan. 6, 2016.

The vehicle was found along a rural stretch of Bear Creek Road in West Kelowna.

A lengthy investigation led by the Southeast District Major Crime Unit (SED MCU) has finally led to the arrests of 33-year-old Heather Dawn White of Kamloops and 60-year-old Cal Douglas Little of Abbotsford.

Both White and Douglas were charged with first-degree murder on April 18, as investigators believe it was a targeted hit on McCarty.

Insp. Brent Novakoski says the securing of charge approval was the “culmination of more than a decade of tireless efforts” across various RCMP agencies.

That includes the SED MCU, West Kelowna detachment, Support Services, Forensic Lab and Digital Forensic Services.

White and Douglas are being held in custody and are due to appear in Kelowna Provincial Court on May 14.

McCarty’s obituary described him as a “bright and wonderful spirit with lots of love and kindness in his heart.”