The offspring of a wrongly convicted individual from Nova Scotia expressed that the upcoming burial of her father will trigger her profound sorrow once again, particularly if there is no progress in the criminal investigation of his case.
Amanda Huckle conveyed that upon the passing of her father, Glen Assoun, nearly two years ago, she felt the weight of injustice from the almost 17 years he spent incarcerated for a crime he was acquitted of.
“As he drew his last breath, it felt like all his suffering rested in our hands, leaving us to bear this burden,” she shared during a phone interview on Wednesday.
In March 2019, a court in Nova Scotia cleared Assoun of the 1995 murder of his former partner, Brenda Lee Way. Over the years of imprisonment and subsequent bail conditions, Assoun developed severe heart and mental health issues. It wasn’t until about two years before his passing at 67 that he received compensation from federal and provincial authorities.
Huckle expressed the family’s frustration over the delay in a formal investigation by a police oversight body into the potential misconduct of RCMP officers in destroying evidence pertaining to Assoun’s case.
She stressed the significance of launching the investigation before the Christian burial service scheduled for June. “The absence of this inquiry heightens our grief as we feel this injustice… we endure it for him,” she remarked.
Recently, the director of Nova Scotia’s police oversight body, Erin Nauss, acknowledged the case as a “priority” and hoped to provide an update soon.
Despite these assurances, Huckle remains skeptical due to hearing similar promises over the past five years since a former government minister first called for an investigation into potential criminal acts involving the RCMP and Halifax police in 2020.
“I will only believe it when I see it. It feels like false hope with no real action taken,” she lamented.
In March 2021, the police oversight agency of Nova Scotia revealed that the British Columbia counterpart had agreed to handle the case for transparency. However, on Nov. 30, 2023, the Nova Scotia agency announced that B.C. had relinquished the case due to a heavy workload. Nauss has since reached out to multiple oversight bodies without success in finding a new entity to investigate.
Nauss recently indicated discussions with another provincial oversight body to take over the probe. “This is a critical matter that I am treating with utmost seriousness,” she mentioned in an email on Thursday. “I understand the frustrations due to the time that has elapsed.”
When asked if he would assist in arranging the investigation, Premier Tim Houston stated he would respect the decision of another province considering taking it on. “I will defer to the (other provincial) government on this matter. I know they are focused on it, so I will respect their decision,” he confirmed.
Glen Assoun, who died in June 2023 at age 67, was acquitted in March 2019 of the 1995 killing of his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Lee Anne Way, after spending almost 17 years in prison. Assoun stands outside Supreme Court in Halifax on July 12, 2019. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan.
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Huckle, now a seasoned police officer with investigative experience, voiced her concern about the diminishing opportunity to collect evidence and the fading memories of potential witnesses due to the passage of time. “As individuals age, the risk of them being unavailable to provide evidence or be held accountable increases,” she noted.
The ongoing delays in commencing the investigation perpetually reopen old wounds, Huckle added.
While public interest may be waning regarding Assoun’s wrongful conviction, the matter remains raw for Huckle. “This occupies my mind every single day … We are desperate for answers. Why did this happen to my Dad? Why?” she questioned.
Sean MacDonald, Assoun’s former legal representative, emphasized that a criminal probe into police conduct in Assoun’s case would set a precedent, promoting police accountability and a level of responsibility not seen in previous wrongful convictions.
The issue of police accountability in wrongful convictions is paramount, exemplified by cases like those of Robert Mailman and Walter Gillespie. These two individuals were exonerated in 2023 for a 1983 murder in Saint John, N.B., after serving extended prison terms. In March, the Saint John Police Force released findings from an independent review revealing tunnel vision in the case, but the officers involved were not penalized due to the absence of malicious intent.
Huckle affirmed that if an announcement regarding the investigation is not made before her father’s funeral, she will persist in seeking answers. The next significant milestone will be this September, marking five years since the province enlisted the Serious Incident Response Team to handle the case.
“I hope that… an entity has taken up this investigation by then. However, do I believe this will happen? No, I do not,” she concluded.
This article by The Canadian Press was initially released on May 26, 2025.
