Mother fights for answers in daughter's death

Yvette Jalbert hasn't had a chance to grieve since the death of her 22-year-old daughter, Ashley, nearly two and a half years ago.

She's been too busy trying to have the case reopened to find answers about how it happened.

On Jan. 10, 2010, the young girl was found dead in a Greater Sudbury motel room. Her death was ruled accidental by the coroner, and police closed the investigation. 

But Jalbert wasn't satisfied, she still isn't, and she won't rest until she has some answers.

"I don't think I've even grieved, I'm too busy," she said at a walk held in Ashley's honour May 5. "Sure, I cry at home, but I'm so focused on fighting this. I won't stop. I'm too determined."

The Walk for Ashley started at the courthouse around 1 p.m. Saturday, and continued through the downtown core to the police station on Brady Street. Jalbert said the purpose of the walk was not to protest or make noise, it was to quietly draw attention back to her daughter's case.

"We're trying to raise awareness towards Ashley's death," she said. "We want the whole thing, right from the beginning, re-investigated — I'm talking medically and policing.

"I don't feel comfortable with what's gone on with her case."

In the past two and half years, Jalbert has been conducting her own investigation into Ashley's death and said she has discovered new evidence. However, she was reluctant to reveal that evidence, for fear of it hurting Ashley's case.

The family has “a lot more information which shows the death was not an accident,” according to a petition to have the case reopened, posted on change.org.

Jalbert said the Greater Sudbury Police Service has not returned her calls about the new evidence.

A statement issued by Cst. Meghan O'Malley, media relations officer at the Greater Sudbury Police Service, said "Members of the Criminal Investigations Division conducted a thorough investigation into her death and have had ongoing communication with her family. Ashley Jalbert’s death was ruled as accidental by the office of the Coroner, no foul play was suspected. The Greater Sudbury Police Service will follow up on any new evidence brought forward."

The statement also extended the GSPS's sympathy to Ashley's family.

While Jalbert said she is frustrated with the lack of communication with the police, her focus goes beyond her daughter's death.

"I don't want to go against the police, because my future goal is to open a women's shelter," she said. "After investigating Ashley's death, I can't believe how many young women out there are being victimized, and beaten, too, and it bothers me.

"I know in my heart that Ashley would want me to do this, and that's a big part of it," the mother said. "Ashley was very loving and caring. Mostly she was known to help people. No matter how much she was hurting inside, she always brought others up."

Stephanie Price took part in the walk Saturday afternoon, along with a group of Ashley's other friends. She said they were there "not only to support Yvette, but to support the cause to get some answers about what happened to Ashley."

"I think Ashley deserves to have some answers," she said.

"It's been devastating to not only lose a friend, but really have no answers to any of our questions about what happened," she added. "We've done the best we can to be there for Yvette, and support her efforts, but it's been very hard."

Last January, Jalbert erected two billboards — one at the intersection of Lasalle and Falconbridge and the other on Highway 17 near Bob’s Husky — asking for information on the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death. 

A fundraising campaign has also been launched to assist the Jalberts in hiring a lawyer to “build a case against those who had a role in Ashley's death,” according to the Facebook group “Justice for Ashley Jalbert 1987-2010.”

"Because we're not getting anywhere with the police, we're hoping that all the evidence we've gathered, and witnesses and what not, that we can bring all our evidence to a lawyer," Jalbert said.

Any funds remaining following the investigation will be donated to a local women's shelter.

 

Posted by Laurel Myers