Sue Simpson, the mother of a Kamloops teen who was beaten into a coma in 2016, was feeling optimistic on Thursday morning as she headed to court to learn about the financial settlement she’s been awaiting.
Hours later, the long-awaited settlement was deferred for the third time, and her short-term hopes for her son Jessie were again dashed.
“It was put over two or three weeks,” Simpson said Thursday. “It’s just heartbreaking. I need to know if I can take care of (Jessie) for the rest of his life. What do I do with this?”
The money headed her way is from the sale of the home of Jessie’s attacker, Kristopher Teichrieb.
It was listed for $850,000 last year, after a B.C. Supreme Court judge ordered its sale on behalf of Jessie.
How much of that money will make it to the family remains to be seen, but it’s much needed. At the top of Sue’s agenda is a new van, so she and Jessie can have more mobility.
She’d also like to have more money so she can just “live as mother and son” with Jessie, who has very complex and costly needs.
While finances remain unresolved, Simpson is forging ahead with plans to write a book about her ordeal and turning to the community that’s helped her so many times before for donations to her GoFundMe account.
Jessie will need 24-hour care for the rest of his life. Only recently was he given the green light to go home for weekend visits, though he mostly resides in a care home.
Teichrieb pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault in 2018 and was sentenced to seven years in prison minus time served. He has been out on statutory release since 2021.
The sale of his house was ordered after Teichrieb was found responsible for damages in a civil lawsuit. He owes the Simpson family $7 million, according to a court decision, none of which they have seen.
He had tried to evade selling the home by handing it over to his parents for a minor amount. The court decided the home should be sold and proceeds directed toward the Simpsons.