Christian musician faces murder charge

By Frank Stirk  |  Monday, November 2, 2009

KELOWNA, BC—A Christian musician is facing a first-degree murder charge for a crime that occurred 16 years ago.

Kelowna RCMP arrested Neil George Snelson on October 23 in connection with the death in October 1993 of Jennifer Cusworth, a 19-year-old social work student at Okanagan University College.

A 43-year-old musician and songwriter, Snelson is a member of First Lutheran Church in Kelowna, where he played bass on one of its worship teams. "I am a Christian," the father of four wrote on a blog earlier this year, "but not a Bible thumper as they say."

Snelson also has a page on the Canadian Christian Music Directory, where he posted seven of his songs. One of them refers to "a lonely mother just looking around, waiting for the return of a child."

"We're in shock, absolutely. The whole community of faith is in shock," Keith Reisdorf, First Lutheran's senior pastor, told the Kelowna Daily Courier. "Our hearts go out first to the Cusworths, because they've been with this pain for so long…and Neil and his family during this incredibly difficult time."

Reisdorf called Snelson, who has attended his church for the past seven years, "a warm guy" and "a good dad."

"Of course, we want justice to reign and truth to come to light," he said.

Cusworth was last seen alive at a house party. Her clothed body was found 24 hours later. How she died has not been disclosed.

RCMP would say only that Snelson had been among the 150 people at the party and that he was arrested on the basis of DNA evidence found at the crime scene. He appears to have no previous criminal record.

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