The suspect arrested last week for a Langley murder had a previous criminal record that included possession of prohibited weapons, according to court records.
Justin Bos faces a charge of second-degree murder in the death of Cody Mostat.
Mostat, a 30-year-old Langley man, was found unconscious in the Highway Hotel in Walnut Grove just before 9 p.m. on March 25 this year.
Officers attended and attempted life-saving efforts, but Mostat died on scene, explained IHIT spokesperson Sgt. Timothy Pierotti.
IHIT worked with the Langley RCMP, the Combined Forces Special Enforcement Unit of British Columbia (CFSEU-BC), and the Integrated Forensic Identification Section (IFIS), Pierotti said.
Bos was born in 1985, which would make him about 37 years old.
He has faced a number of criminal charges over the last few years, including in 2020, when he was charged with possession of stolen property and possession of a non-firearm prohibited weapon in Surrey. Court records show he was found guilty on both charges.
In the same year, he was found guilty of car theft in Langley.
In 2012, he was charged in Abbotsford with drug possession for the purpose of trafficking, and also possession of non-firearm prohibited weapon. He was found guilty of both charges.
On the more minor end of the scale, the earliest charge in the online court services system dates back to 2005, when Bos would have been about 20. He was charged under the Motor Vehicle Act with speeding in a playground zone and failure to produce a driver’s license or insurance.
Bos is currently scheduled to appear in Surrey Provincial Court on the murder charge on Oct. 6.
READ MORE: IHIT joins Langley Mounties’ investigation in Walnut Grove
READ ALSO: IHIT charges Langley man for March murder of 29-year-old
The victim, Mostat, grew up in Powell River and had worked as a welder for a commercial truck dealer.
According to an obituary posted by Mostat’s family, a 2011 injury suffered while welding derailed his life.
“It was in this trade that fell off a scaffold and broke his foot and ankle,” the obituary said. “This injury led to his self-medication and ongoing struggles with addictions.”
Court records on a lawsuit, in which he was a witness, noted that he was prescribed opioids for his injury, but began self-medicating with street drugs. He had a few criminal charges beginning in 2011, mostly related to drug posssession, in Powell River. Mostat spent some time in prison.
He was also known to the RCMP in Langley.
At the time of his death, Mostat was facing charges of possession of a firearm and possession of body armour without a permit, with the charges laid in Langley on Sept. 21, 2021.
Mostat was scheduled to appear in court on the charges on March 22 in Surrey.
On April 12, more than two weeks after he was murdered, court records show a warrant for Mostat’s arrest was issued. The case was finally officially ended on April 29.
Have a story tip? Email: matthew.claxton@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.