Three and a half years after her daughter’s death, a Vancouver Island mother says she’s received the validation she’s been waiting for.

The BC Coroners Service has reclassified the 2021 death of 18-year-old Samantha Sims-Somerville from an accidental overdose to a homicide — a finding her mother, Tracy Sims, says she knew was the truth from the beginning.

On April 9, 2021, Sims-Somerville attended a small gathering at a residence in Victoria after being brought there by an acquaintance, according to the coroner’s report.

The last photo of the 18-year-old was taken at around 10pm while she was on a bus on her way to the meeting. In it, Sims says her daughter looks “bright and cheerful.”

Photos of Samantha Sims-Somerville are displayed in her mother’s home. (CHEK News)

Several hours later, around 3 a.m., other people at the residence called 911 after Sims-Somerville and a friend were found unresponsive.

Both teenagers were taken to hospital and put on life support. The friend recovered, but Sims-Somerville remained unresponsive and died later that evening.

Although the teenager’s death was initially ruled an accidental overdose, recent findings by the BC Coroners Service reveal that Sims-Somerville and her friend intentionally took a fatal dose of an unregulated drug called gamma-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) – also known as the name of date rape. drug — combined with alcohol “without their knowledge.”

The Chief Coroner ordered the investigation to be reopened on March 1, 2024, after new information became available. It had originally been concluded on January 6, 2023.

Tracy Sims lost her 18-year-old daughter, Samantha Sims-Somerville, in April 2021. Although her death was initially ruled an accidental overdose, recent findings reveal that she was intentionally given a fatal dose of a unregulated drug. (CBC)

“He had no drug history, no history of drug abuse,” says Sims. “Knowing my daughter and her character and trusting her decision making based on how well I educated her about street smarts and drugs.”

Sims describes her daughter as a gentle and kind soul who had a deep love for animals and an immense well of creativity and who was an avid dancer, poet and singer.

“For anyone who’s a parent, to sit and watch a child die and feel so helpless, it’s the most traumatic.”

But Sims says she didn’t just sit around grieving. Driven by the conviction that her daughter’s death was not an accident, she began to do her own research, searching through text messages, talking to individuals present at the gathering, and compiling her own investigation to share with the authorities.

“I mean I had no choice. I was a desperate mother who needed answers for her child,” she says.

Disappointment with the police investigation

Sims expressed frustration with the initial handling of the case, saying police did not follow up on important information.

She has filed a complaint against Victoria Police officers involved in her daughter’s case, which the Office of the Police Complaints Commissioner is currently investigating.

Sims says she remembers her daughter as gentle, kind and creative. She was a singer and poet, avid dancer and animal lover. (Submitted by Tracy Sims)

In a statement to CBC News, the police department said it forwarded all relevant information to Crown counsel following Sims’ independent findings and a decision was made not to lay charges.

“At this time, it is too early to determine whether there will be further action in this case,” VicPD said in a statement.

Sims says she will continue to fight for justice until she sees criminal charges brought against those involved in her daughter’s death.