A B.C. man has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the 2021 killing of a Naramata, B.C., woman — a development that remained largely secret until a judge partially lifted a sweeping publication ban this week.

Jalen Falk, 26, was handed a life sentence on Feb. 24 with no possibility of parole for 16 years, for the second-degree murder of 57-year-old Kathleen Richardson, whose death in her home nearly five years ago shocked the quiet Okanagan community.

The court heard Richardson, a well-known local hairdresser and volunteer firefighter, was the victim of a violent gang-related retribution mission targeting her son, Wade Cudmore.

The retribution mission

Prosecutors said Falk and an associate, Ekene Anigbo, broke into Richardson’s home in June 2021 while searching for Cudmore and a second man. The mission was allegedly sparked by a gang conflict involving the murder of two Kamloops brothers, Erick and Carlos Fryer, and the theft of hundreds of thousands of dollars in drugs.

The court heard Richardson was forced into her basement, bound with duct tape and zip ties and interrogated. When she resisted, she was shot twice in the head at close range.

Falk and Anigbo were charged with first-degree murder in the killing in 2023. Last year, Falk pleaded guilty to second-degree murder.

Anigbo has pleaded not guilty and is currently on trial in B.C. Supreme Court in Kelowna.

Why the case was kept secret

The details of Falk’s conviction and sentencing were shielded from the public until Wednesday, when a B.C. Supreme Court Judge partially lifted the publication ban following an application by CBC News.

The ban was originally put in place to ensure a fair trial for Anigbo, who had originally elected to be tried by a judge and jury. However, after the ban was put in place Anigbo re-elected to be tried by judge alone, which eliminated the risk of jurors being biased by news of Falk’s guilty plea.

The majority of the case is now public — the court has maintained a ban on reporting specific testimony and details of Richardson’s death, as that remains a central issue in Anigbo’s trial.

During Falk’s sentencing hearing, and again this week in Anigbo’s trial, the court heard of a conspiracy by multiple people with gang ties to locate Cudmore and his associate, Anthony Graham, to bring retribution for the killing of the Fryer brothers in a remote location near Naramata in 2021.

Cudmore was charged in their death one week after his mother’s murder and in 2024 he was sentenced to life in prison for his role in killing the brothers. Graham remains at large and was reported missing in 2021.

‘Mr. Big’ sting operation

Prosecutors say Falk was arrested after he revealed details of Richardson’s murder to undercover RCMP officers during an elaborate “Mr. Big” operation where investigators concocted a fictitious criminal organization and enticed Falk to join, in order to gain his trust.

The Crown also relied on information from one of the alleged participants in the gang plot to find Cudmore and Graham, who told investigators they drove Falk and Anigbo to Richardson’s home on the morning of her killing and helped the pair dispose of their clothes and backpacks afterwards.

That person, referred to in court as “Witness A”, is expected to take the stand and testify in Anigbo’s first-degree murder trial, which is expected to continue into the summer.