Mother frustrated after police close death investigation without publicly releasing details

It’s been over four months since Tiffany Gates was murdered — her mother Linda Davidson said her family is still struggling with the senseless act.

“You try not to think of it, but she’s not here, right, I’ll never see her again,” said Davidson, holding back tears.

Gates’ body was found inside of a sixth floor apartment unit in the 500-block of Proudfoot Lane in London, Ont. on Sept. 7, 2023.

Her boyfriend, Christopher Charlton’s body was also recovered inside the apartment.

A post-mortem examination determined that two individuals died as a result of gunshot wounds.

On Friday, Jan. 17, Davidson says she received a phone call from the lead detective in the 30 year old’s death. He confirmed the coroner had completed the investigation and that she would be given a “final walkthrough” of how her daughter was killed.

“He said Tiffany was shot…and there was no way she did it herself because of the entry,” explained Davidson.

Davidson said she was told by police the official cause of death, according to the coroners report and lead detective, was murder-suicide. Adding, that Tiffany was shot and killed by her boyfriend Christopher Charlton.

This did not come as a surprise to Davidson, she said she already knew this information and never doubted that her daughter was murdered.

But she said she feels defeated because police did not release any information publicly, including Charlton’s name.

CTV News reached out to London police on Friday, requesting information regarding this investigation.

Tuesday, they issued a brief press release confirming a death investigation was now complete, and the families of those involved had been notified.

The release made no mention of victims, or provided any details in relation to the investigation.

In part, it reads “The London Police Service is unable to provide any additional information with respect to the manner of death or involved parties’ names due to restrictions provided within privacy legislation. Such restrictions remain in death.”

As it stands, if a person who commits a crime is deceased, no charges will be laid, therefore, authorities will never release their name.

“The press release leaves it open for speculation, why don't they say he killed her,” questioned Davidson, “You’re never going to know that he murdered her… and why is that? Because he’s dead…it just seems so ridiculous.”

Davidson said she wants to see changes made to the privacy legislation when it comes to murder suicide cases, involving intimate partner violence.

“I’m trying to find a way that he would be listed on something, because as far as I am concerned he got away with murder,” said Davidson

“This is, you know, that brutal final step when it comes to violence,” said the Executive Director at the London Abused Women's Centre, Jennifer Dunn, “I would have no doubt in my mind, based on what Tiffany’s family is telling us, that this young woman faced violence at the hands of her partner and the end result of that was her losing her life, and that is not okay,” continued Dunn.

Days following her daughter’s murder, Davidson told CTV News, "I had this terrible gut feeling that something was going to happen.”

Davidson was worried about her daughter safety, pointing to messages sent to Tiffany’s phone in June 2023, asking her to come back home.

“I think something has to come of this, I don’t want to see this happen to someone else,” said Davidson, who said she’s going to try and get the law changed. “I would like to call it Tiffany’s Law.”

“At the end of the day the family needs closure, and Tiffany’s mom needs closure, and that’s the bottom line. We need to advocate at all levels of government, and in the community, that this type of violence does not need to happen,” explained Dunn.

Tiffany was originally from Niagara Falls and came to London in 2013 to study at Fanshawe College.