Tracy Sims says she always knew her daughter’s death wasn’t an accident, and now she has the evidence to back it up.
Samantha Krysia Sims-Somerville died on April 10, 2021.
The 18-year-old Vancouver Island teen’s death was initially ruled an accident, but now, it has been ruled a homicide following a second coroner’s investigation.
“Now it was in black and white that my daughter had been killed, which I knew all along,” she said. “I was having to reprocess this and take it all in.”
Sims said she has been fighting for three-and-a-half years for this investigation.
“This started the moment I saw Samantha,” she said. “I knew something was wrong. The day after Samantha passed I went immediately into investigation mode and I’m not an investigator or any of those things by any means, I’m a mother.”
Sims said she had to file appeals, obtain police files, learn terminology, ask questions and keep pushing until someone would listen.
She said the next steps are unclear but she hopes no one ever has to go through what she has gone through.
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Sims said she is working on a website to help families who are going through similar situations connect with others, get help and find justice.
Sims-Somerville was rushed to Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria on April 9, 2021, after attending a gathering with friends.
The investigation found that Sims-Somerville and a friend went to someone’s home at approximately 10 p.m. At approximately 2:50 a.m., someone contacted 911 saying Sims-Somerville and her friend were unresponsive.
At the same time, the coroner’s report found that a physical altercation between two other attendees broke out and a nearby security guard also called 911.
The fire department, BC Ambulance and Victoria police arrived at the scene and rushed Sims-Somerville and her friend to the hospital.
A CT scan of Sims-Somerville showed signs of severe anoxic brain injury, meaning her brain lacked oxygen.
According to the report, she died at 7:26 p.m. on April 10, 2021.
Sims-Somerville’s friend survived after intensive medical treatment.
“Follow-up investigation revealed evidence that Samantha and her friend were intentionally provided an unregulated substance, without their knowledge, by another individual in the residence,” the report found.
Police investigated the circumstances related to Sims-Somerville’s death, but no criminal charges resulted.
The chief coroner directed the investigation be reopened on March 1, 2024, after new information was made available. It had initially been concluded on Jan. 6, 2023.
While gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB) was found in Sims-Somerville’s system during an autopsy, the level was suggestive of an “external administration of the substance,” the report states.
GBH is known under the common street name Liquid Ecstasy.
“When combined with alcohol, GHB can cause even greater respiratory suppression and failure, and is sufficient to cause death,” the report states.
“Based on the totality of information considered as part of this investigation, the evidence supports that Samantha was intentionally provided the GHB by another person.”
In a statement, the BC Coroners Service confirmed the investigation was reopened earlier this year.
“I can confirm the coroner has now concluded their investigation and re-classified the death as a homicide. It’s vital to note that our use of ‘homicide’ is considered a neutral term and does not imply fault or blame.”
In a statement to Global News, Victoria police said all evidence was presented to Crown Counsel and the decision was made not to pursue charges.
“At this time it is too early to determine whether there will be any further action on this file,” police said, confirming there is an active Office of the Police Complaint’s Commissioner investigation underway.
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