Notorious Halifax-area criminal Jimmy Melvin Jr. has been charged with first-degree murder in the 2009 shooting death of Terry Marriott Jr.
Halifax Regional Police stopped a vehicle outside an address in the 600 block of the Bedford Highway Saturday evening and arrested Melvin Jr. at the scene.
The officers searched the vehicle and an address in the same block and seized marijuana, cocaine, hydromorphone, cannabis resin and drug paraphernalia.
Melvin Jr. was held in custody overnight and remanded to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
He is facing charges of first-degree murder and attempted murder, in addition to two counts each of possession of drugs for the purpose of trafficking and possession of drugs.
"An opportunity presented itself to investigators in the past several weeks that we were able to advance the file to where we are today," said Halifax Regional Police Supt. Jim Perrin on Sunday.
Police say Jimmy Melvin Jr. was a suspect in the Marriott shooting from the beginning, but something happened in the last month that was the tipping point, allowing for his arrest.
The body of 34-year-old Marriott Jr. was found on Feb. 20, 2009, inside his house in Harrietsville, N.S.
"Police received information that James Melvin Jr. is also responsible for the attempted murder of the same victim on Dec. 2, 2008 in Harrietsville," said Perrin.
In 2012, Marriott’s murder was added to Nova Scotia’s Major Unsolved Crimes Reward Program. Police did not specify whether there have been any useful anonymous tips in the case.
They also wouldn’t specific what led to the charges against Melvin.
“The charge of first-degree murder means some planning to the event, and that's the evidence that we have put forward to the Crown,” said Perrin.
Melvin Jr. is due to appear in Halifax provincial court Monday afternoon.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ron Shaw
