Ontario father reflects on slain daughter's legacy as accused prepares to stand trial

WARNING: This story contains discussion of intimate partner violence.

Dan Jennings remembers every detail of the night in July 2023 when a police officer arrived at his home in Sault Ste. Marie and told him his daughter Caitlin, who was living hundreds of kilometres away in London, Ont., had died.

Nearly three years later, Jennings is preparing to attend the trial of David Norman Yates, the man charged in connection with her death. The trial is scheduled to begin Monday in St. Thomas.

"This is a feeling no parent should understand," Jennings told CBC News.

"There's so much going through my head beyond her final moments but also my quest for justice and to help save other survivors or victims, that’s my journey right now."

Caitlin Jennings, 22, was found dead at a home on Kingsway Avenue in London's Oakridge neighbourhood on July 5, 2023. Yates, who was 50 at the time, is charged with second-degree murder in her death.

Caitlin was not heard when she was alive, but she will be heard now.- Dan Jennings, father of Caitlin Jennings.

Since his daughter's death, Jennings has become an advocate for victims and survivors of intimate partner violence. Jennings has travelled to Queen's Park and Ottawa, urging politicians to strengthen protections for victims and improve supports for those experiencing abuse.

"Her end is always in my mind and cannot be helped," he said. "She deserves to be here. She was at a point where she was just trying to figure it out; she was still so young."

Jennings said his advocacy was inspired in part by fellow Sault Ste. Marie resident Brian Sweeney, whose daughter, Angie Sweeney, was killed in 2023. Together, they created the groups Angie's Angels and Caitlin's Heard in memory of their daughters.

The pair also supported federal efforts to criminalize coercive and controlling behaviour in intimate relationships. Proposed legislation advanced through Parliament but did not become law before last year's federal election.

Jennings has since connected with other families affected by intimate partner violence, including the family of Breanna Broadfoot, a 17-year-old London girl who died in 2024.

"We are part of a family nobody wants to be part of, but these are the people that know how we're feeling. It's great that I have this big adopted family but it's unfortunate how big it is, that just shows that there's so much as a society we need to do," he said.

Jennings said he was estranged from Caitlin for much of her life following a divorce from her mother, and the two had begun to reconnect before her death.

One of his fondest memories, he said, was being the first person to hold her when she was born.

"I lost my daughter twice," he said. "I missed so many moments of her growing up. There's so much more I wish I knew."

He described Caitlin as a tomboy who was fiercely loyal to her friends and always willing to help others. After graduating from Fanshawe College, she worked several part-time jobs while trying to determine her next steps in life.

Although he acknowledges coping with her loss remains difficult, Jennings says sharing Caitlin's story helps keep her memory alive while drawing attention to the lasting impacts of intimate partner violence on victims, survivors and families.

"She was my first born, my millennium baby born in 2000," he said. "Caitlin was not heard when she was alive, but she will be heard now. I will be her voice."

If you or someone you know is struggling, here's where to get help:

For anyone affected by family or intimate partner violence, there is support available through crisis lines and local support services. ​​If you're in immediate danger or fear for your safety or that of others around you, please call 911.

In London, support is also available through Anova, Atlohsa Native Family Healing Services, London Abused Women's Centre, Regional Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Treatment Centre, and Victim Services of Middlesex-London.