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The mother of an Indigenous woman who died is still waiting for answers about her death after more than 11 weeks.
On June 17, Jennifer Gunanoot received a call that changed her life. A family member was calling to tell her that her 29-year-old daughter Kaylee Gunanoot was dead.
Gunanoot says Kaylee was found dead on the Hagwilget Reserve earlier that morning.
It has been 83 days since that phone call and she is still waiting to find out how her daughter died. RCMP said a meeting was scheduled with the family, police and the BC Coroners Service at the end of August to discuss the coroner's report but that didn't take place.
“It’s a real helpless feeling,” she says.
Since the coroner's report has yet to been completed, Gunanoot is still waiting to meet with the agencies.
“We shouldn’t have to fight this hard for answers,” she says. “My heart is broken.”
RCMP told Glacier Media back in August that the death was not suspicious. But Gunanoot says “without a doubt, I know she was murdered.”
"The BC Coroners Service has conduct of this investigation,” said Cpl. Madonna Saunderson with RCMP North District at the time. "There is no evidence to support, at this time, that there is anything suspicious in the tragic death.”
Gunanoot says she's trying to trust the process.
“It’s a long waiting game,” she says. “There's still some parts that are still really raw."
A BC Coroners Service spokesperson says: “Our investigation into this death remains open, and consequently I’m unable to provide any additional information at this time.”
In a statement to Glacier Media Thursday, Saunderson said RCMP will maintain regular contact with the family to provide ongoing support.
"Due to the privacy of the deceased and their family, no updates are provided publicly until such time as the BC Coroners Service issues their completed report,” said Saunderson.
Gunanoot is trying to gain some normalcy back in her life for her other children and admits it’s been extremely difficult for her family to carry on without Kaylee.
"I don't think that'll ever go away,” she says. “That’s gonna be with us for life, for the rest of our lives."
