Charges upgraded to 1st-degree murder in Marpole homicide investigation

Charges have been upgraded against a suspect charged with murder in the double homicide of a Vancouver couple nearly a year ago.

Rocky Rambo Wei Nam Kamwas originallyfacedtwo charges of second-degree murder in the slayings ofDianna Mah-Jones, 65, and her husband Richard Jones, 68.

The couple's bodies were discovered inside their Marpolehome on Sept. 27. Police said their killings were random attacks.

On Friday, the B.C. Prosecution Service confirmed new charges of first-degree murder have been sworn against Kam.

Typically, a first-degree murder conviction requires the Crown to prove there are elements of planning and pre-meditation.

A second-degree murder conviction requires the Crown to prove there was intention bythe accused to commit the crime, but not necessarily that it was planned.

A first-degree murder conviction carries a life sentence with no chance of parole for 25 years.

Last fall, Vancouver police said Kam, 25, had "no connection whatsoever" to Mah-Jones or Jones.

Kam's next court appearance is set for Oct. 22.

With files from BellePuri

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