Victoria, B.C. (Rajeev Sharma): More than 20 years after a brutal killing at a remote highway rest stop in northern British Columbia, an American man has been brought to Canada to face justice for the crime. James Daniel Morgan, already serving a lengthy prison sentence in the United States for an unrelated murder, appeared before a B.C. court on Friday in connection with the 2001 death of 74-year-old James Hamrick.
Hamrick, a great-grandfather from the United States, was travelling through Canada in his camper when he was killed near Prince George in September 2001. Investigators say Hamrick had offered Morgan a ride after spotting him hitchhiking in Alaska. The journey continued through the Yukon and into northern B.C., where the two eventually stopped at a secluded rest area.
Court records show Hamrick was attacked and killed with hammers outside his camper. His body was later discovered at the Woodpecker Highway rest area, sparking widespread fear among travellers in the region at the time. The case, however, faded from public attention after being overshadowed by the September 11 attacks in the United States.
Morgan fled to the U.S. after the killing and was later arrested on an unrelated matter. During interviews with Canadian and American authorities, he confessed to Hamrick’s murder and also admitted to killing another older man in Colorado in 1992. For that crime, Morgan was sentenced in 2004 to 48 years in prison.
After years of legal proceedings, Morgan was extradited from the United States and flown to northern B.C. by RCMP officers. In court, he entered a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter as part of a joint submission by the Crown and defence. The court accepted the agreement, crediting him for time already served in the U.S., and sentenced him to one day in a Canadian prison before being returned to American custody.
Hamrick’s daughter, Candyce Tracy, delivered a tearful victim impact statement, describing decades of grief, trauma, and unanswered pain experienced by her family. She said the long wait for justice had taken a heavy emotional toll, leaving lasting scars on their lives.
Morgan, appearing frail and emotional in court, apologised to the family and expressed remorse for his actions. The judge noted that Morgan had accepted responsibility and cooperated with authorities, adding that given his existing sentence, he would likely spend the remainder of his life in prison.
With the Canadian proceedings now complete, Morgan will continue serving his sentence in the United States and may eventually become eligible for parole under U.S. law.
