Accused in Chetwynd death case now faces first-degree murder charge

CHETWYND, B.C. — A man is now facing a first-degree murder charge after the death of a woman in Chetwynd last year. 

The BC Prosecution Service confirmed the Crown has now laid a first-degree murder charge on Kenneth Albert Wood on January 19th. 

Wood was initially charged with second-degree murder on July 10th, 2025.

The matter was in court on January 20th, 2026 before Judge Tamera Golinsky. 

The court confirmed the detention order, no-contact order and a publication ban – on details arising from bail hearings – from the previous charge have been carried forward for the new charge as well. 

RCMP responded to a call from members of the Chetwynd Fire Department and Emergency Health Services on March 9th, 2025. 

Officers who arrived at the scene in Chetwynd found an adult woman dead. 

Wood is next expected to appear in Chetwynd Provincial Court on February 5th.