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Murder charge laid in relation to 2020 Langford homicide

Damien Medwedrich faces first-degree charge relating to man found dead in crashed vehicle
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A man found dead in a vehicle in the 3100-block of Humpback Road spurred a homicide investigation in 2020. A man has now been charged for murder in relation to that incident. (Black Press Media file photo)

A first-degree murder charge has been laid against 26-year-old Damien Medwedrich in relation to a 2020 homicide in Langford.

West Shore RCMP said Medwedrich is in custody and is set to appear in court on March 31 for the murder charge. The charge stems from an incident where a man was found dead in a crashed vehicle in the 3100-block of Humpback Road more than two years ago.

“While we understand that this update may generate a range of emotions, the family of the victim has requested their privacy be respected,” said Cpl. Alex Berube, a spokesperson for the B.C. RCMP.

Foul play was suspected after West Shore RCMP responded to the single-vehicle crash in the heavily wooded stretch of Humpback Road around 11:30 p.m. on Jan. 20, 2020. After a man was found dead in the vehicle, the Vancouver Island Integrated Major Crime Unit started to investigate the incident as a homicide.

READ: Police investigate homicide after man found dead in vehicle in Langford

READ: Langford resident called 911 to report crash before police began homicide investigation

Residents in the area told Black Press Media in 2020 that they called police after finding a silver SUV appearing to have crashed into a tree.

In 2018, Medwedrich was acquitted in a case involving a 2016 drive-by shooting that left two Sooke residents injured and resulted in a five-day manhunt around Thetis Lake. In that incident, he was arrested after being found in the crawl space of a Sooke residence.

He was, however, convicted for drugs and weapons offences relating to that incident.

During the trial that eventually ended with his acquittal, Medwedrich plead guilty to four offences, including three weapons offences and a drug trafficking offence, but did not plead guilty to the offences related to the shooting. He was sentenced to serve 16.5 months of a 30-month sentence.

READ: Court unable to identify shooter in drive-by shooting


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