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Boy's Final Hours: Locked in Basement, Couple Watched on Camera
18 Nov
Summary
- Boy, 12, found unresponsive in basement after being locked in.
- Prospective adoptive parents watched child on camera during lockdown.
- Child was severely malnourished, weighing same as a six-year-old.
In Milton, Ontario, a murder trial details the final harrowing hours of a 12-year-old boy locked in his basement bedroom. Prospective adoptive parents, Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber, allegedly watched him via camera as he vomited and kicked the door. He was later found unresponsive, severely malnourished, and weighing the equivalent of a six-year-old. The couple has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and other charges.
The court heard testimony from a child protection worker who interviewed Cooney and Hamber the day after the boy's death on December 21, 2022. The worker reviewed video clips showing the boy's distress and the parents' distant interaction through a camera speaker. The children, wards of the Children's Aid Society, had lived with the women since 2017.
Defence lawyers argue the women were doing their best with children who had significant needs, facing limited support. The younger brother, J.L., testified in the judge-alone trial. Investigations into the older boy's death and the younger brother's care commenced thereafter, leading to J.L. eventually being removed from their care.
