Loretta Saunders' sister aims to 'keep her voice alive'

An undated photo of Loretta Saunders.

The sister of Loretta Saunders, a 26-year-old woman who was killed last year, is trying to honour her legacy by completing her thesis on missing and murdered aboriginal women.

Saunders was killed on Feb. 13, 2014, when she went to collect rent from two people who had been subletting a room in her Halifax apartment. Her killers are now serving sentences of life in prison.

At the time of her death, Loretta had been studying violence against aboriginal women. She was just two months shy of completing an honours degree in Criminology at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax.

Now, in a bid to preserve and honour her legacy, her family has taken up Loretta’s cause.

Loretta’s younger sister Delilah says, in the months since her death, her parents have received many requests from people offering to complete her thesis.

Having helped with the research and readings, Delilah said she is taking on the project.

“It just seems like something that I really need to do, not just for myself but for her, to keep her voice alive,” Delilah told CTV’s Canada AM on Tuesday.

Describing Loretta as “resilient” and “beautiful,” Delilah says the months since her sister’s death have been difficult.

“She was my role model,” Delilah said. “I wanted to be just like her, like any younger sister usually does.

“She was just a huge part of my life, we were inseparable.”

Delilah said Loretta had a “very tough time” as a teen, but things changed when she began to delve into aboriginal history.

“I think when she gained an understanding of residential school impacts, and how the cycle works, she wanted to change that and overcome it,” Delilah said.

“She’s definitely been an inspiration to not just me, but so many other people recognize the perseverance and the resilience that she possessed.”

Delilah says she wants Loretta to be remembered as more than just a murder victim. She has helped create a scholarship in her sister’s name. The Loretta Saunders Community Scholarship Fund will be open to Indigenous women attending post-secondary school in Mi’kma’ki, Nunatsiavut, or Atlantic Canada.

Delilah said she’s been using writing, as well as sharing her own experience and hearing the stories of other victims “to process my grief and put it into perspective.”

Despite all her efforts, Delilah said there are still times when she experiences bouts of depression.

“It’s a serious task to get yourself out of bed and take care of yourself properly,” she said. “But I’ve been lucky to have the support of so many people.”

For more information on Delilah’s work and to find out about support services for family and friends of murder victims please visit https://homicidesurvivor.wordpress.com or contact Delilah at [e-mail].