26-year-old woman found dead near her house in Fort Liard

Roxanna Thompson
Northern News Services
Published Thursday, February 20, 2014

ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
A young mother is being mourned in Fort Liard.

Samantha Timbre, 26, was found outside on the morning of Feb. 11 near her house in the community. Temperatures had dropped to -32 C the night before.

The Coroner Service of the NWT is investigating the death with the assistance of the RCMP. No foul play is suspected.

"It's pretty hard for every one of us," said Erica Timbre, Samantha's younger sister.

Samantha suffered from asthma and had an inhaler. Erica said her family was told, from the results of the post-mortem examination, that asthma was related to the cause of her death.

"It was hard for her to breathe," Erica said.

Family was the most important thing for Samantha, her sister said. She had two sons, one who is turning four in May and a two-year-old.

"They were her number one thing in her life," Erica said.

"She loved talking about her kids."

Samantha also loved her friends and her family, including her two nephews and her common-law partner Robby Berreault, said Erica.

"She really cared for me, my brother and my dad."

One of Samantha's defining characteristics was that she was always happy. Even when she was sad she had a smile on her face, Erica said.

She liked to joke around all the time.

The funeral service was scheduled to be held on Feb. 19 in the Fort Liard community hall.

"A lot of people didn't expect it," said Fort Liard Mayor Morris McLeod, about the death.

"A lot of people are still in shock over it."

McLeod said it's been a long time since someone has died outside in the cold in the community. A number of people have been luckily found outside before their condition became critical, he said.

It will take four to six months for the report from the post-mortem examination into the death to be released, said Karen Brown, the NWT's deputy chief coroner.