PENTICTON – A preliminary inquiry got underway today for John Ike Koopmans who has been charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder.

Koopmans, 51, was in Penticton Provincial Court this morning to listen to his lawyer Don Skogstad and Crown counsel Vern Frolick present evidence for Koopmans' upcoming trial. The inquiry is expected to last for several days while the trial is expected to last three or more weeks.

A ban prevents publication of the details coming out of the preliminary inquiry.

Koopmans was arrested last year in connection to the deaths of Robert Wharton, 44 and Rose Fox, 32 and the attempted murder of another person. The bodies of the deceased were found at a property on Old Hedley Road. The third individual, a man, was treated for life-threatening injuries.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Shannon Quesnel at squesnel@infotelnews.ca, call 250-488-3065 or tweet @InfoNewsPentict.