The grieving mother of a pregnant 18-year-old girl, whose body parts were found in Lake Ontario and in a basement apartment in Oshawa, Ont., said her daughter was “hunted” and “preyed upon.”
“I believe my daughter was hunted,” Shanan Dionne told reporters on Wednesday following the court appearance of a man arrested last week in connection with her daughter’s death.
“Nothing has been proven. But in my heart, I feel my daughter was hunted. I felt that since day one.”
Adam Jeffrey Strong, 45, was charged with improper/indecent interference with a dead body in late December.
Strong made a brief court appearance by video link and was remanded into custody until his next court date on Jan. 24.
READ MORE: ‘I feel like I’m in a nightmare’: Family heartbroken after missing Oshawa teen confirmed dead
On Dec. 30, police were called to a basement apartment on McMillan Drive around 7:30 p.m., where officers found a female’s body, as well as a suspicious package.
The explosive disposal unit was called in to detonate the package. Durham Regional Police later identified the body as Rori Hache who had been missing since Aug. 29.
On Sept. 11, a fisherman discovered the torso of a woman in Lake Ontario near the Oshawa Harbour. The body showed obvious signs of trauma. Police said at the time the body part was that of Hache.
VIDEO: Human remains officially linked to Oshawa teenager
READ MORE: Torso of woman with signs of trauma found in Lake Ontario: police
Dionne said she plans to attend every single court appearance in the case and vows to maintain her daughter’s good name. She is also hoping for more charges against the accused.
“I want the judge, I want the Crown, and I want the public to see that Rori was not misplaced in life. She had family. We love her. We’re going to represent her to the best of our ability during this case,” Dionne said.
Dionne also said she was disturbed to see a man void of emotion in the courtroom on Wednesday.
“You would think he was here for running over a kid’s basketball today. That’s the empathy he has for what he has done,” Dionne said.
VIDEO: Godmother of dismembered Oshawa teen heartbroken and shocked
—With a file from Catherine McDonald and Jessica Patton