Lambertus “Bert” Westervelt, who was charged last week with the 2016 killing of his wife, was granted bail.
Westervelt was taken into police custody April 6 arrest for second degree murder of his wife Arlene Westervelt, 56.
As was the case in his first court appearance, a number of supporters of either Arlene or Bert were in court for the Monday bail hearing, which is covered under a publication ban.
READ MORE: OKANAGAN MAN CHARGED IN KILLING
In a previous court appearance friends of Bert said they were shocked while Arlene’s were glad an arrest had been made.
To many, it was a surprise.
In the days that followed Arlene’s death, RCMP said it was a tragic accident. She and Bert had been canoeing on the afternoon of June 26, 2016, when the boat capsized. Police said (Bert) was rescued by a passing boater, but Arlene could not be found in the immediate aftermath.
Despite an extensive search of Okanagan Lake by local fire and rescue personnel that evening, Arlene’s body wasn’t recovered until the following day.
She was found in 35 feet of water, approximately 100 feet from the shore, by trained divers with the RCMP underwater recovery team.
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