The son of a woman bludgeoned with a hammer is now charged with her murder.
The Crown has approved a charge of second-degree murder against Conor Grossmith, 24, and made it official at a brief hearing on Friday. He remains in custody and makes his next court appearance Thursday.
Kate Gilchrist, 57, died in hospital nine days after she was attacked in her Kelowna home on Sept. 13. Police arrested her son for attempted murder and seized a hammer from the Mission-area home.
Neighbours said Grossmith lived there and has a mental illness. He's expected to undergo a 30-day psychiatric assessment to determine if he's mentally fit to stand trial.
Gilchrist taught English as a second language at Okanagan College for 18 years and chaired the department for a time. The college has set up a bursary in her honour to benefit domestic ESL students who are pursuing academic studies.
A private service was held in her memory.
