The family of slain student Sam Eves says B.C.'s justice system failed them after their son's murder and that the Crown Counsel has lost sight of its primary objective: helping the victim.

In March 2007, the 16-year-old was stabbed to death at a house party in Squamish, B.C.

After an intense RCMP manhunt, 19-year-old Ander Walker-Huria gave himself up to police.

Initially, the teen was charged with second-degree murder, but that charge was later reduced to manslaughter.

"Of course, we were upset, and then, the more we thought about it, the more outraged you become," says Colin Eves, Sam's father.

Walker-Huria pleaded guilty and will be sentenced next month.

In an e-mail, Crown Counsel Jane Nascou told the family "(We are) seeking five years jail on a guilty plea."

But Walker-Huria won't serve anywhere near that because of time already served.

"Because the current practice is to credit two to one for pre-trial incarceration, he will likely be back on the street within months of his sentencing date next month," says Eves.

A spokesperson for Crown Counsel wouldn't comment on sentencing, but said a judge didn't believe there was enough evidence for a charge of second degree murder.

"Nothing will replace the loss and suffering of this family, but the Crown has to be governed by the facts and circumstances of the case and proceed accordingly," says Neil McKenzie of B.C.'s Crown Counsel.

But Eves doesn't buy it. He began to feel his son's case wasn't a priority after it kept being reassigned to different prosecutors.

And he was shocked when the Crown told him it hadn't interviewed any witnesses until two weeks before the preliminary trial.

"In my mind, any job well done is a job that's well prepared for," he says. "And frankly, I was appalled when I found out they waited a year to interview witnesses."

Eves says prosecutors knew little about Walker-Huria's past, which included a skipped court hearing in Ontario for several violent crimes. He was also on probation for assault.

"It seems to me that the Crown is abdicating responsibility," says Eves. "They are supposed to look after people who try to obey the rules and live accordingly."

Eves won't give a victim impact statement at the sentencing hearing. He says it's not worth it because the justice system has already failed them.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Leah Hendry