The family of Samantha Mercer has been looking for answers in her death for more than a decade.
And despite the release of an independent review into the case Wednesday, the family says they aren’t done fighting.
READ MORE: Investigation into Samantha Mercer death ‘flawed’: independent review
“I want an apology from the Truro Police Department and I also want somebody held accountable for this,” said Shannon Mercer, Samantha’s grandmother. “I’m not going to stop until I get it.”
A report conducted by Gerard Mitchell, police commissioner for Prince Edward Island, found the investigation into Samantha’s death was “sloppy” and not properly handled.
The Mercer family says they knew for years that the investigation was mishandled, and although they are happy with the fact a review was finally conducted, they still have some serious questions about the police work that went into the case.
“We just want to know who is going to be held accountable for all the mistakes that were made,” said Debbie Dalrymple, Samantha’s great aunt.
Dalrymple says the family visited the Brunswick Street home where Samantha was killed 13 days after the incident and found evidence police didn’t remove, including a dent in the wall of Samantha’s bedroom and a bloody mattress.
Justice Minister Diana Whalen spoke to media Wednesday afternoon following the release of the report.
She says government plans to accept all the recommendations Mitchell put forward, including conducting regular audits of municipal police forces in the province. However, Whalen stopped short of offering an apology to the family of Samantha Mercer.
“We recognize it’s been a heartbreaking time for over 10 years for the family and my heart goes out to them to recognize what they’ve been through,” said Whalen.
“I think there’s some comfort in having better information, in getting the facts and I think beyond that, for an apology, I think that’s really in the hands of other people. We’ve done what we can do as a justice department.”
The Mercer family says they wonder how many other investigations may have been poorly handled by the Truro Police Service during the same time period.
“How many more kids, adults, I don’t care who they are, didn’t get justice in this town because those men didn’t know what they were doing and nobody cared. No one cared. But I cared and I will fight for my granddaughter,” said Shannon Mercer.
The Public Prosecution Service tells Global News that even if new evidence in Samantha Mercer’s death is unearthed, Terry Dean Allen — the man originally charged but acquitted in the case — cannot be retried for the death of Samantha Mercer.
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