DISCLAIMER: The following account contains accusations of child mistreatment.
Two women from Burlington, Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber, are currently on trial in Ontario for the alleged first-degree murder of a 12-year-old boy they had intended to adopt.
In addition to the murder charge, Cooney and Hamber are facing accusations of confinement, assault involving zip ties, and neglecting to provide essential care to the boy’s younger sibling.
The deceased 12-year-old, identified in court as L.L. to protect his brother’s anonymity, passed away on December 21, 2022. The exact circumstances leading to his death have not been definitively established in court proceedings.
The trial, presided over by Justice Clayton Conlan, commenced in Superior Court in Milton last month with an opening statement from Crown attorney Kelli Frew.
Frew emphasized the need for the brothers, L.L. and J.L., to have a nurturing and caring permanent home. Instead, they were placed with the accused individuals, where they allegedly experienced mistreatment and neglect.
Initial Foster Placement in Ottawa for 2 Boys
The Children’s Aid Society (CAS) transferred the two Indigenous boys from their long-standing foster residence in Ottawa to the care of Cooney and Hamber in Burlington in October 2017, as outlined in the agreed statement of facts.
Although the women were potential adopters, CAS had not fully cleared them. They were receiving financial aid through a provincial adoption program for the boys’ care.
While the boys remained under Ottawa CAS’s guardianship, Halton CAS supervised the family.
Upon moving in with Cooney and Hamber, the older brother, aged six and older than J.L. by about two years, was allegedly subjected to abuse and neglect according to the Crown’s allegations.
The prosecution asserts that the boys were confined, monitored via cameras, coerced to wear wetsuits and zip-tied clothing and shoes, resulting in injuries. They were also reportedly deprived of food, forced to exercise, and locked in their rooms.
Concerns raised by individuals in the boys’ lives, including a therapist and teacher, were reportedly brought to CAS’s attention. Despite these red flags, the boys remained in the care of Cooney and Hamber for an extended period.
On the night of December 21, 2022, Hamber contacted emergency services, reporting that L.L. was not breathing, as per Frew’s statements.
Responders who arrived at the scene perceived the emaciated child lying in a basement room to be around six years old, while he was actually 12 years old.
L.L. was found unresponsive in a room with minimal furnishings, a camera in the corner, and a lock on the exterior of the door. He was rushed to the hospital with hypothermia and passed away shortly after.
Frew claimed that the accused women harbored a profound disdain for the brothers, particularly targeting L.L.
The defense attorneys for Cooney and Hamber opted not to present opening statements.
CAS Allegedly Denied Counseling for Boys, Foster Mom Testifies
Heather Walsh, a crucial witness for the prosecution, had been a foster parent to L.L. since he was two years old and J.L. since he was 11 months old, following concerns about their biological parents’ home environment.
Walsh described L.L. as a bright child who, despite behavioral challenges, excelled academically and socially