Mom's death reclassified as homicide after almost 20 years, now son wants case reviewed

A Winnipeg man says he finally has the news he's been waiting almost two decades to hear — his mother's death is now considered a homicide.

"My wife and I shed a few tears over it because, I mean … it's nearly 20 years," Jim Garwood told CBC in an interview last week.

The body of his mother, 87-year-old Jessie Garwood, was discovered with extensive injuries in 2004 in the basement of her Winnipeg home, where she lived alone.

Her death had originally been classified as "accidental," but Garwood has long believed it wasn't.

The classification was changed to "undetermined" in 2007 after he raised concerns with the medical examiner's office.

Now, Manitoba's chief medical examiner, Dr. John Younes, has reclassified the death as a homicide, according to a July 6 letter sent to Garwood.

After years seeking answers in the case, the letter "came as a shock — a pleasant surprise," said Garwood. "But it certainly upset me."

The news "makes me both sad and pleased that they finally came to that conclusion," he said. "But because it's a homicide, it's also very difficult to think of it as a win."

In his letter, Younes wrote that he "no longer believe[s] that all of the injuries could possibly have resulted from accidental falls."

Based on "the nature and distribution of the injuries identified at autopsy … and the much more complete understanding I have of the scene and the many significant findings there, I can think of no plausible explanation other than that at least some of the injuries were deliberately inflicted," Younes wrote.

He also expressed gratitude to Garwood for his "tireless efforts to bring this evidence to light and my attention."

Younes's letter indicates he will be informing the chief of the Winnipeg Police Service that the death is now classified as a homicide.

The police service "is reviewing all correspondence and consulting with the Crown's office," public information officer Const. Dani McKinnon told CBC News in an email.

The Crown prosecution service "confirms it will review any new evidence," a provincial spokesperson said in an email to CBC, but said the province can't provide any further comment at this point.