Key Takeaways
- James Daniel Morgan, an American man, has been extradited to Canada to face justice for the murder of 74-year-old James Hamrick in 2001.
- Morgan pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will serve a one-day sentence in Canada before being returned to the US to serve out his 48-year sentence for a separate murder.
- The case spans almost 25 years and connects two different murder victims, both older men, who were killed in two different countries, almost a decade apart.
- Morgan has confessed to two murders, one in Canada and one in the US, and has shown remorse for his actions.
- The victim’s family has suffered profound trauma and is still waiting for closure after more than two decades.
Introduction to the Case
More than two decades after the brutal killing of a great-grandfather at a lonely highway rest stop in northern British Columbia, an American man has been extradited to Canada to face justice. James Daniel Morgan, who is currently serving time for a separate killing in the US, appeared in a BC courtroom for the first time to enter a guilty plea. In Canada, he’s charged with the first-degree murder of 74-year-old James Hamrick. Hamrick was bludgeoned to death with two hammers outside his camper while on a road trip through Canada in September 2001.
The Events Leading Up to the Murder
Hamrick had offered Morgan a ride when he saw him hitchhiking, according to investigators. The two men travelled south through the Yukon and northern BC, stopping to visit friends of Hamrick’s in Stewart, BC. Morgan later told investigators he stole a hammer from that home. A gas station attendant in Smithers, BC, told police that Hamrick mentioned to her that he was unhappy travelling with Morgan and would ask him to leave. On September 10, the men stopped at the Woodpecker highway rest area, in a forest about 40 kilometres south of Prince George, BC. It was there that Morgan attacked and killed Hamrick.
The Investigation and Confession
Morgan described his attack on Hamrick in detail during a 2002 interview with RCMP, according to a police transcript. He told police he sprayed Hamrick in the face with a full can of mace, beat his head repeatedly with two hammers, ran him over with his truck, and strangled him with a bungee cord. Morgan then robbed Hamrick, stealing money, a ring, and other items from his pockets, before fleeing the scene in Hamrick’s truck and camper. The truck and camper were later found abandoned, and Hamrick’s poodle, Muffy, was found alive.
The US Murder and Extradition
By the time Morgan became a suspect in Hamrick’s murder, he had already travelled to the US. He was taken into custody after police picked him up for a minor violation. RCMP investigators then flew to the US to interview him. Morgan confessed to killing Hamrick and also confessed to another murder, an unsolved homicide in Denver, Colorado, in July 1992. In 2004, Morgan was sentenced to 48 years in jail after pleading guilty to that 1992 slaying. His victim was Benjamin Zesch, aged 61. Morgan has never been charged in connection with another stabbing of a gay man in Denver, Robert Farrell, which remains unsolved.
The Victim’s Family and the Impact of the Crime
In court on Friday, Hamrick’s daughter, Candyce Tracy, gave an emotional victim impact statement by video link, breaking down into tears as she spoke. She said her family is suffering with profound trauma, recurring nightmares, severe anxiety, and serious stress-related illnesses. She said the loss of her father "changed who I am and the life we were supposed to have." Tracy said it has been excruciating to wait decades for justice, noting her father’s belongings and treasured keepsakes that were with him when he was killed are still being held by officials as evidence, after more than 24 years.
The Sentence and Aftermath
Morgan stood up hunched over in the prisoner’s box to apologize, crying as he said, "I’m so sorry, I wish I hadn’t." If Morgan serves out his full sentence in Colorado, he’ll be 90 years old when he is released. The case has been a long and complex one, spanning almost 25 years and connecting two different murder victims, both older men, who were killed in two different countries, almost a decade apart. The extradition of Morgan to Canada and his subsequent guilty plea bring some closure to the case, but the impact of the crime will be felt by the victim’s family for years to come.
