One week after a 47-year-old homicide victim died in an Edmonton hospital, her daughter is speaking out about her family’s struggle to cope with the loss and to take her remains back home.
“Our entire family is devastated,” 24-year-old Destiny Rich told Global News on Wednesday while speaking about the death of her mother Natasha Rich.
“She did not deserve this… Nobody does.”
Earlier on Wednesday, police announced that 20-year-old Jada McKenzie Andrew has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with Natasha’s death.
Andrew, who had already been in police custody since Jan. 25, was originally charged with aggravated assault and weapons offences in connection with the stabbing that sent Natasha to hospital. The charges were upgraded after an autopsy confirmed Natasha was the victim of a homicide and she died because of a “sharp-force injury.”
READ MORE: 2nd-degree murder charge laid in central Edmonton stabbing
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Destiny said Andrew is the daughter of her mother’s boyfriend.
“My mom was beautiful and spontaneous and courageous,” she said.
“She was stubborn; you can see that by how long she held on for and how long she fought.”
Destiny said she and other members of her family took time off work to be with her mother in hospital before she died — something made even more challenging because of precautions they had to take due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She said the experience was painful and traumatic, and after her mother died, making arrangements has been stressful.
“I’ve had to be responsible for things I never thought I’d be responsible for before, and I consider myself to be a very responsible person,” she said.
Natasha grew up in Nova Scotia but, in her 20s, moved to Alberta, where she met Destiny’s father. Destiny said her mother worked hard to raise her kids and held a number of different jobs over the years. She said while her parents divorced several years ago, the loss has also been very hard on her father.
A family friend has started a GoFundMe page to raise money for Destiny and her family so they can pay to have Natasha’s remains brought to Nova Scotia for a memorial service and to fly family members out there as well.
Destiny said she is extremely grateful for the support the fundraiser has already received, adding she wants to use the money to help send one of her sisters to college and to give her other siblings some help.
“No one should ever have to go through what my family went through,” she said. “I really wish my mom got better… She didn’t deserve it.
“I didn’t think my mother was going to die. I thought she’d be OK… I hoped for the best (but) that’s not what happened.”
READ MORE: Police say suspect in custody after Edmonton stabbing victim dies in hospital
Destiny said she has three younger siblings, the youngest of whom is just 14 years old.
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