A coroner’s inquest into the deaths of a Prince Rupert family in 2023 has concluded after the jury found that homicide and suicide were the causes of death.
The jury found that Christopher Duong died of self-inflicted wounds to the neck and middle of the arm, while his wife, Janet Nguyen, and their two children, Alexander and Harlan’s deaths were all classified as homicide.
Homicide is a classification or manner of death assigned by the BC Coroners Service, defined as “death due to injury inflicted by the action of another person,” and is a neutral term that does not imply fault.
The jury recommended that police be notified when someone who was apprehended under the Mental Health Act is released.
The family of four was found dead in Nguyen’s parent’s home on Silversides Drive on June 13, 2023. It was revealed during the inquest that Duong had suffered a mental health crisis just days before the incident.
Police believed that Duong killed his family before killing himself. However, the inquest also revealed that Nguyen was a willing participant in the deaths, as she showed no signs of a struggle and had released a last will and testament video with Duong a couple days prior, outlining last wishes for their property and children.
The jury also recommended that more mental health resources be put into place in Prince Rupert.
“There were little to no mental health psychiatric resources available in Prince Rupert, or that such resources were not available during the weekend,” juror number three stated.
“In addition, testimony was heard that due to the high volumes of long-term and intensive care patients, most existing treatment centres have limited beds, resources, and time for patients with milder mental health issues.”
The jury recommended that the Prince Rupert Regional Hospital review the physical setup of its seclusion rooms and assessment spaces as well.
“The jury heard testimony that the physical setup of seclusion rooms was such that it approached torture,” juror number three said. “The doctor said that they were uncomfortable keeping patients in these rooms for extended periods of time.”
Other recommendations were directed to the Ministry of Health regarding ways to improve follow-up services to patients following discharge, and to the RCMP to review training regarding information provided by law enforcement to the Ministry of Children and Family Development.
The jury also recommended that the Northern Health Authority consider ways to support recruitment and retention, psychiatric nurses, and mental health liaisons by “expanding opportunities in rural and remote communities.”
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