Small gathering lays ashes of wrongfully convicted man to rest, as family seeks probe

In a quiet grove at the edge of a Halifax cemetery, the family of a wrongfully convicted man laid his remains to rest and said his fight for justice lives on.

Glen Assoun died June 14, 2023, but the family postponed interring his ashes until a gathering Monday, presided over by Rev. David Watt, a Baptist minister who stood by his friend over the years.

"We laid him here to rest.… But I feel like the real rest will happen when we have a resolution and some people are held accountable," said his daughter Amanda Huckle following the small gathering.

In March 2019, a Nova Scotia court acquitted Assoun in the 1995 killing of his ex-girlfriend, Brenda Lee Way.

During 17 years in prison and five years under strict bail conditions, Assoun developed heart illnesses and suffered from mental illnesses. He only received a compensation settlement from the federal and provincial governments about two years before he died at the age of 67.

Almost five years ago, the province requested the police oversight body begin a formal probe into whether officers broke the law when they destroyed evidence relevant to Assoun's case. In March 2021, the Nova Scotia police watchdog announced that to ensure transparency, its counterpart in British Columbia had agreed to be on the investigation.

But on Nov. 30, 2023, Nova Scotia's agency announced the B.C. watchdog had dropped the case due to a heavy workload. Since then, the agency has reached out to multiple police oversight bodies and has struggled to find one that will take the case.

Erin Nauss, the director of the Serious Incident Response Team, said in an email Monday that she had "hoped to have an update," but isn't yet in a position to share information about the next steps.

"I want to assure you that my focus and our work on moving this investigation forward has not wavered. I will provide an update when there is more to say," she wrote.

Huckle said the family's expectations aren't wavering, as this is an important part of how they can move forward.

"This [interment] is closure for us in some aspects but there's still that lingering door that is still open," she said.

During the ceremony, Assoun's ashes were placed in a marble bench inscribed with the Gibson guitars he loved to play. Family members each touched the sides of the enclosure.

Tanya Assoun, his eldest daughter, read an April 19, 2009, letter he'd written to her from prison, telling her he missed her and advising, "Be strong and think positive … set your bar high. Through the grace of God justice will prevail."

"He always wanted the best for me," she said after the service. "Even though he was in prison, he would always say those things to me."

During the gathering, Watt read Bible verses and recalled "the blessing of memories," including sitting and eating meals with Assoun, who was his roommate for two years after his release.

As the group walked away from the secluded spot, Watt said his friend would have liked the nature path and the tranquil spot where his bench is set. The only sound through the day was of a slight June breeze.

Amanda Huckle agreed. "My dad deserved peace. He deserves this peace," she said.