Coroner reclassifies British Columbia teen’s death as homicide

A Vancouver Island woman who refused to admit her daughter when she died of an accidental overdose is glad the record has been set.

On Wednesday, Tracy Sims received a report from the British Columbia Coroners Service that reclassified the death of her daughter Samantha Sims-Somerville as a homicide. The service initially ruled that she had accidentally overdosed on GHB, a date rape drug.

“When I read the report, the emotions I felt are very difficult to explain,” Sims told CTV News. “It was shock, relief, anger. It’s like I was given this news again.”

Samantha died in 2021 after collapsing at a party in Victoria. She was 18.

Sims is convinced her daughter was drugged and sexually abused. She has spent the last three and a half years collecting evidence to prove this.

Some of those at the party were convicted drug dealers, Sims said, and she has screenshots of messages that Samantha and her friend, who survived, were drugged.

The coroner reopened the investigation in March after new information emerged.

“The subsequent investigation revealed evidence that a non-controlled substance was intentionally provided to Samantha and her friend by another person in the residence without their knowledge,” the coroner’s report states.

“The facts establish that Samantha was intentionally provided with GHB by another person.”

Sims said she has lost faith in the justice system.

“How many deaths from overdose or sexual assault will be classified as accidental?” she said.

“How many more parents will have to go through what I did and deal with the system alone instead of taking the time to grieve and come to terms with the loss of their child?”

Another police investigation?

While the coroner’s reclassification brings Sims some peace of mind, she said true justice will result in charges being filed. VicPD said it was too early to say whether the case would be reopened.

“My only concern is that if the case is reinvestigated and it’s done by the Victoria Police Department, it’s going to go wrong again because they did a terrible job the first time,” Mr Sims said.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is investigating Sims’ claim that VicPD’s investigation was inadequate. The department said it could not comment on an active OPCC file.

“This does not change Victoria Police’s duty under the Police Act to investigate crime and continue to investigate if any new evidence is available,” CTV public safety analyst Chris Lewis said.

“Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean they’re going to find out who gave the victim the drugs, but they will at least have to find out what the coroner knows and do further investigation to try to piece the case together.”

The Coroners Service noted that the term “murder” does not imply guilt or blame.

“Homicide means the death was the result of some action,” said Lewis, a former Ontario Provincial Police commissioner. “If the intent was murder, then it is murder and a felony.”

Sims said she is done with detective work for now.

“No one should ever have to go through what I went through and have to figure it out on their own,” she said. “I’ve done enough. Will anyone now be able to pick up the pieces and continue the work?”