Durham murder victim remembered as 'passionate angler'

Durham angler murdered West Grey police have laid a second-degree murder charge against a man accused in a fatal stabbing. CTV London's Scott Miller reports.

Travis Hopkins is being described as a charismatic, passionate angler, who was killed just steps away from his recently opened fishing business in Durham. The person accused of killing him was reportedly his business partner, Scott Timbers.

The incident police described as an argument between two friends, happened on the afternoon of Saturday, Jan. 4.

Hopkins was stabbed in the parking lot near his fishing business on Garafraxa Street in Durham, called the Balls Deep Fishing Company. Hopkins would later die in hospital. Friends say Hopkins opened the business in 2023.

A Facebook post from October 2024 said the man accused of killing Hopkins, Scott Timbers had “bought into the fishing industry” and was “now co-owner of Balls Deep Fishing Company.”

What led to the incident between the two men in the parking lot near the Balls Deep parking lot is still under investigation.

On the day of the stabbing, West Grey police arrested and charged the 36-year-old Timbers, who hails from the Barrie area, with second-degree murder, which is defined as being carried out with intent but without premeditation or pre-planning.

The 35-year-old Hopkins is being remembered as a valued and passionate member of the Grey-Bruce fishing community. Not only as the owner of a fishing business, but as an avid angler, who ran a kids’ fishing derby last summer and was always willing to share tips of the trade with fellow fishermen.

A celebration of life for Hopkins is happening on Jan. 18 at the Durham Legion.