An Ontario coroner ruled Adam Danko's death was accidental. His family believes he was intentionally overdosed
CBC
Kim Moore and her three daughters gather in the living room of their family home in Thunder Bay, Ont., as if waiting for a family meal.
But someone's missing — Adam, Moore's oldest child and only son.
His memory brings laughter, and his absence draws tears. When Moore's ready, she points to the coroner's report explaining why he isn't there.
The report says 43-year-old Adam Danko's death a year ago was accidental, but his mom doesn't believe it. Moore said that when she found Adam's body, his doors were unlocked, his apartment had been ransacked and belongings were stolen.
Days earlier, she said, he was trying to dodge one guy who kept calling.
"We're certain it was a hot shot."
Hot shotting is defined as drugs being intentionally laced with a lethal dose of fentanyl or other synthetic opioid.
Amid what the family says are the suspicious circumstances surrounding Danko's death, Moore insists local police never fully investigated the case and the coroner reached his conclusion too quickly.
A spokesperson with the Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS) said the investigation is ongoing, but would not provide additional details, citing privacy issues.
But Danko's family, advocates in Thunder Bay and a recent report to Ontario's auditor general detailing issues with TBPS sudden-death investigations have shared concerns these overdose deaths are slipping under the radar of authorities.
Last year, 152 people died in the northwestern Ontario region from a drug overdose, according to preliminary data. That's about two people dying every five days and a 50 per cent increase from 2020 — with fewer than 150,000 people, and on a per-capita basis, that puts the health unit among those most affected by Ontario's worsening drug crisis.
Police and coroners tasked with investigating overdose deaths say it's taking a toll on their resources, and add they're particularly challenging cases when it comes to laying any charges.
"It's frustrating, because I know nothing will be done for justice. For Adam," Moore said.
Growing up, Danko was always a tad quirky, his mom said.
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