My sister was murdered by her boyfriend 11/23/05. Can we still file wrongfull death?

She fled CA to TN to get away from him. He showed up in TN late October. We told her to stay away from him but she felt bad because he had no place to go. The phone rang at 4:30 am. It was all over the news. I went to her apartment in hopes it was not her. She had been tortured - throat cut 9 times, sock in her throat, hog-tied, her face was beaten and you couldn't see her nose. He had left her face down on the floor for days after he killed her. I had to call my family along with her 2 sons. He was only sentenced to 25 years, and he will be out after only serving 18 years.