Parents finally get coroner's inquest into 2011 death of thejr son
Credit to Author: Keith Fraser| Date: Mon, 18 Nov 2019 23:53:58 +0000
The parents of a Chilliwack man who was found dead in his home more than eight years ago are relieved that a coroner’s inquest has finally been called to look into the case.
Edward and Gladys Scherbey went to court twice after the Solicitor-General’s Ministry refused to order an inquest into the August 2011 death of their son, Corey John Scherbey.
Both times, a judge ordered the ministry to reconsider. On Monday, it was announced that an inquest will be held in April.
A press release from the ministry said that earlier this year, Solicitor-General Mike Farnworth directed that an inquest was necessary or desirable in the public interest.
“This is great, we want justice for our son,” said Gladys Scherbey.
“It’s been eight years,” said Edward Scherbey. “We’ve been denied an inquest for eight years.”
The couple believe that the RCMP did not do a thorough job of investigating.
The case began when Gladys Scherbey discovered her son’s body slumped over, kneeling, with his head buried in his leather chesterfield. There was a large volume of blood on the floor and blood spatter.
RCMP initially investigated the matter as a homicide but changed the focus of the investigation when a coroner’s report found the cause of death was a drug overdose.
The family didn’t believe that the death was accidental and arranged to have an expert review the evidence. The expert found that suffocation may have been the cause of death, not an overdose.
“It’s with you all day long,” Edward Scherbey said of the family’s ordeal. “When you go to bed, it’s with you. It just doesn’t give you rest. I’ve got my mother buried beside my son, for God’s sakes.”
Said Gladys Scherbey: “We have gone through so much stress. It’s unbelievable.”
The presiding coroner will be Margaret Janzen. A jury will make recommendations aimed at preventing deaths under similar circumstances, says the ministry’s press release.
“A jury must not make any finding of legal responsibility or express any conclusion of law,” it says. “An inquest is a formal process that allows for public presentation of evidence relating to a death. The jury will certify the identity of the deceased and how, where, when and by what means death occurred.”