The Royal Canadian Mounted Police Southeast District Major Crime Unit based in Kelowna, with the assistance of the British Columbia Provincial Corrections Service, has concluded a nearly four-month-long investigation with the arrest of Peter Ernest Edward Beckett, says a statement issued by the force on Tuesday.
Beckett who is 56 years old, was arrested at the Surrey Pre-trial Center, in Surrey, BC, December 10 for the offences of Counseling to Commit Murder and Obstruction of Justice. Beckett was already in custody awaiting trial for the First Degree Murder of his wife, Laura Letts-Beckett.
The statement said the investigation into the death of Laura Letts-Beckett, near Revelstoke in August 2010 was determined to be a homicide. A lengthy investigation followed with the arrest of Peter Beckett nearly a year later. He has been in custody since his arrest.
Project E-PEDLAR began in August of this year and focused on allegations that Peter Beckett was attempting to influence the outcome of the upcoming criminal proceedings related to his first-degree murder charge. Beckett is alleged to have counseled to commit the murders of persons whom the Crown would be relying upon as witnesses for those criminal proceedings. Fortunately this police investigation prevented any harm or loss of life from coming to these individuals.
Beckett was to make his first court appearance on Tuesday, December 11, in Provincial Court on these new charges, the RCMP statement said.
