After reopening investigation, coroner deems Victoria teen's death a homicide

Samantha Sims-Somerville’s death was initially ruled an accidental overdose. The B.C. Coroner’s Service is now ruling it a homicide. (Photo submitted by Tracy Sims)

Three and a half years after losing her only child, a Victoria mother has confirmed something she has long believed: her daughter’s death was not an accident.

The B.C. Coroners Service has ruled Samantha Sims-Somerville’s death a homicide, after initially classifying it an accidental overdose, according to her mother, Tracy Sims.

Samantha was 18 when she died in April 2021, after attending a party at a Victoria apartment. An autopsy determined she had fatal a combination of GHB — commonly known as the “date rape drug” — and alcohol in her system, though Sims said Samantha’s blood-alcohol level was below the legal limit.

Sims has spent the past several years compiling evidence, including screenshots of texts from people at the party saying Samantha and one of her friends, who survived, were drugged. Some of the people there that night were convicted drug traffickers, Sims said in previous interviews.

The coroner can renew a probe when substantial new evidence has been discovered. It did so in March.

“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 coroner said in its updated report.

“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.”

As a result, the coroners service is now classifying the death a homicide.

“Homicide is a neutral term and does not imply fault or blame,” the report reads.

CTV News has scheduled an interview with Sims on Friday to learn more about the coroner’s finding.

Ongoing police complaint investigation

Victoria police investigated and closed the case in September of 2022, Sims said. No one was ever charged.

“It is too early to determine whether there will be any further action on this file,” VicPD spokesperson Cheryl Major said in an email.

Earlier this year, Sims brought evidence before a Justice of the Peace, seeking charges.

“We provided all of our evidence to Crown Counsel after Ms. Sims swore the private information, and Crown Counsel made the decision not to pursue charges,” Major wrote.

The Office of the Police Complaint Commissioner is investigating a complaint Sims filed against VicPD, claiming the investigation into her daughter’s death was inadequate. The department said it cannot comment on an active investigation.

“I will never ever stop fighting for [Samantha] until my last breath,” Sims told CTV News in March.

This is a developing story and will be updated.