David Creamer, a healthy and active 69-year-old, tragically died from a preventable head injury at his residence in Kimberley, British Columbia on February 6th, 2022. To everyone’s utter surprise, at first a local coroner declared his death an accident. Now, new evidence has come forth implicating Creamer’s former friend Mitchell McIntyre as the murderer. Given this, the British Columbia Coroners Service and all those involved with that investigation must answer serious questions about the integrity of that investigation.
David Creamer’s family suffered a tragic loss when he passed away after allegedly sustaining a traumatic head injury from the fall. Despite being responsible for investigating all traffic-related deaths, the coroner’s office never even went to the scene of the incident. With Creamer’s body cremated soon after his death, no potential physical evidence remained to analyze. This dramatic, if preliminary, ruling left his daughter, Taylor Creamer, with no further questions, at peace, and not wondering what exactly happened to her father.
Concerns Over Coroner’s Rulings
Taylor Creamer voiced their anger at the extensive failure seen in the coroner’s investigative process. She condemned the British Columbia Coroners Service for the practice of hiring non-doctors, like lawyers or engineers, as coroners. She claimed that this practice erodes the integrity of investigations.
“You’re a coroner and that’s literally your job, to determine how someone died.” – Taylor Creamer
Taylor’s concerns deepened when it was revealed that her father’s case was not isolated. On the same day as David Creamer’s death, McIntyre killed Julia Howe, his landlord’s partner, in Creston, approximately 90 minutes away. The police first learned of McIntyre’s involvement through an extensive investigation that connected both murders.
Justice System Under Scrutiny
Though McIntyre’s shocking confession is the latest in a string of strong evidence against the justice system, the evidence continues to build. Taylor Creamer spoke to her worries about how the current system is hurting the effectiveness and professionalism of advocacy.
“The system (now) is just not a professional system. The discovery of those two murders proves it.” – Taylor Creamer
It’s not just Ontario that is struggling … Former chief coroner from Alberta, Dr. John Butt, agreed with her on this. He pointed out that when it comes to the quality of coroners’ work, it’s all about their training and qualifications.
“You’re only going to be as good as your training.” – Dr. John Butt
Against the backdrop of these incidents, we can only imagine how deeply Taylor Creamer must feel betrayed by the very justice system that professed to protect her. In the short video below, Deane explains why she thinks major failures were made in managing both cases.
“How can someone kill two people and both of them be ruled accidental?” – Taylor Creamer
Family’s Call for Accountability
The impact of this case has left David Creamer’s family grappling with their loss while seeking accountability from the authorities. These officers were first ordered to not talk publicly on the matter in order to not threaten any possible convictions against McIntyre.
Taylor Creamer speaking about her anger and frustration during the panel, looking back on how her father’s case was handled. She emphasized the wider impact this has on public trust in law enforcement.
“It does feel like a broken justice system. You trust the professionals, but then you realize they screwed up.” – Taylor Creamer
What’s clear is that her determination to seek justice for her father continues to strengthen the more she learns about the incident.
