SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Six months ago a young woman celebrated Halloween with friends in downtown Yellowknife. Though she appeared dancing and smiling that evening in friends' photos that popped up on Facebook in the days that followed, emergency response crews found the 29-year-old unresponsive in a Raven's Court apartment the next morning.

Tara Michelle Osmond was found unresponsive in a Raven's Court apartment on Nov. 1, 2009. Police still don't know what caused her death. - photo courtesy of Facebook

They rushed her to the hospital but to no avail. Tara Michelle Osmond was pronounced dead around 11:30 a.m. on Nov. 1. At the time, the nurse had been working at the Behchoko Health Centre and staying at a friend's apartment.

RCMP said Osmond's death was "suspicious in nature." Six months later, police still don't know what killed her, leaving friends and family waiting on a coroner's report.

"We can't do much about it, can we? We've been in touch with them (the police) but they still got no answers. There's not much we can do," said Osmond's mother, Sharon, speaking from her home in Hermitage, Newfoundland.

She said that while it's been difficult waiting and not knowing, it doesn't change the sadness of her daughter's death.

"To be honest with you, when we do receive the answers, it won't relieve no pain, will it? It's not going to bring her back, no matter what the answer is. She was my world, she's the only one that we had."

RCMP Sgt. Wayne Norris said the coroner's report will have a "significant impact" on deciding whether to rule the case as a homicide. He said the cause and exact time of death is still unknown.

He wouldn't comment on whether drugs were involved, but said toxicology results were among the expected tests.

"It's being investigated. As far as the integrity of the investigation, we're not making any comments until we get all the facts ... She was a young lady. You don't just up and pass away without something going wrong."

Norris said he wasn't aware of any suspects and nobody has been charged. Though police told Osmond's family it would take up to six months, Norris said you can't put a timeline on test results.

"It takes as long as it takes in terms of working with the investigation in terms of working with the coroner's office and the labs," he said.

The NWT Coroner's Office is responsible for determining how, where and when a person died. The police use this information to decide if charges are warranted.

Cathy Menard, deputy coroner, said her office called recently to check on the status of Osmond's case but they still didn't have any indication on when the specialist working on the case will be finished.

"We're still waiting and it's difficult for the families. You definitely feel for them," she said.

All cases requiring a forensic pathologist go through the Edmonton Medical Examiner's office. A spokesman for the office, David Dear, said he couldn't comment on the specific case but typically, results take between three and five months. He said in certain circumstances, they can take longer.

Menard said it's up to the forensic pathologist working on the case, not the RCMP or the coroner's office, to decide what tests need to be done. She said she didn't know what specific tests were required in Osmond's case.

"It's very difficult especially for families to wait, especially when you don't know. It is a long time," she said.

Sharon Osmond said she often thinks about Tara's last visit home at the end of last summer.

"Happiest she was in her entire life," her mother said. "No matter what happened or what happens she's gone. Nothing is going to change now."