By James Peters / Tanya Cronin

Demonstrators show support for baseball bat beating victim

Jun 27, 2016 | 11:24 AM

KAMLOOPS — It was a strong show of support for a 19-year old man fighting for his life in hospital.

Friends of Jessie Simpson rallied outside of the Kamloops Courthouse this morning, while the man charged with beating him with a baseball bat more than a week ago, appeared in court.

Simpson remains in Royal Inland Hospital on life support, his family by his side.

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The signs say it all, ‘No Bail’ and ‘Justice For Jessie’.

Friends of Jessie Simpson rallied outside the Kamloops Courthouse, a strong show of support for a teen badly beaten and clinging to life.

“He’s been a big part of all of our lives and he’s touched all of our hearts individually,” says Victoria Tahara, Jessie’s friend.

19 year old Jessie Simpson is in grave condition at Royal Inland Hospital, after he was severely attacked with a baseball bat last Sunday morning in Brocklehurst.

The incident so violent, Jessie remains in a coma on life support.

“He was my neighbour and really close friend of mine for most of my life, and it’s really heartbreaking to know somebody could do that because if you knew Jessie, you couldn’t do that to him,” says Cassandra Hennessy, Jessie’s neighbour and friend.

39 year old Kristopher Teichrieb, a father of three and local contractor, is charged with attempted murder.

Neighbours say he chased Jessie off his North Shore property, and allegedly beat him with a baseball bat at the corner of Clifford Avenue and Holt Street, where a single vase of flowers now marks the spot.

“Jessie is a very good person, and he would never have done anything to deserve this,” says Hennessy.

“We want justice, we want no bail, we want a hearing and we want it now,” says Christina Forde, Jessie’s family friend.

So far, police have not determined what Jessie was doing on Teichrieb’s property, or if in fact he was there.

Friends say he was attending a graduation party, and was trying to find his way back when the violent incident took place.

“It gets harder everyday, the not knowing, the hoping, the wondering, the postponing, it’s getting to everybody we’re having a hard time but we’re trying to stick together,” says Forde.

Kristopher Teichrieb had a brief court appearance Monday, and will be back in court July 4th where he is expected to apply for bail.

Meantime, Jessie’s friends and family will continue fighting for the teen, just as he fights for his life in hospital.

“I don’t think I can cry anymore, it’s just been hard, we just hugged each other a couple of weeks ago and told each other congratulations on graduating, and then he was gone a week after that, just trying to get through day by day praying and hoping,” says Tahara.