Ontario Women on Trial After 12-Year-Old Foster Son Dies Amid Allegations of Extreme Abuse, Restraints, and Starvation
MILTON, ONTARIO — Chilling testimony and disturbing allegations continue to emerge in the murder trial of two Canadian women accused of abusing and ultimately causing the death of their 12-year-old foster son, a boy referred to in court as L.L., after years of what prosecutors say was systematic confinement, starvation, and cruelty inside their home.
Prosecutors Describe Years of Restraints, Isolation, and Harsh Control
Defendants Brandy Cooney, 43, and Becky Hamber, 45, face charges including first-degree murder, confinement, assault with a weapon, and failing to provide the necessaries of life. They have pleaded not guilty.
According to testimony this week, the two boys in the home — L.L. and his younger brother J.L. — were routinely locked in their bedrooms for up to 18 hours, forced to wear zip-tied wet suits, and had helmets zip-tied onto their heads to prevent them from using their hands.
Cooney admitted on the stand that restraints were used but claimed they were necessary for safety:
“Yes, I did zip-tie the end of the sleeves to stop them from using their hands to choke themselves out,” she said.
However, prosecutors argued the evidence tells a different story, saying the women “hated, abused, and neglected” the Indigenous boys for years before L.L.’s death in December 2022.
Court Hears About Wet Suits, Tents, Bells on Doors, and Pureed Food
Evidence presented suggests the children slept in tents, were given pureed food, and were monitored with bells placed above doors so the women always knew if they moved.
Assistant Crown Attorney Monica MacKenzie directly challenged the women’s claims that the boys posed danger:
“The reasons for restraints and locking them in their rooms was because you were so worried about injury … injuries which never happened?”
Cooney maintained the boys were aggressive but admitted neither she nor Hamber sought medical treatment for any alleged injuries.
Alleged Hateful Messages and Google Searches Enter Evidence
Prosecutors introduced deeply troubling digital evidence, including text messages and internet searches.
A March 2022 message from Cooney reportedly read:
“Can I just not feed at all?”
Hamber allegedly responded:
“No food unless calm.”
In another exchange, Hamber warned that J.L. needed to eat before bed because the boys “can’t be skeletons.”
Google searches found on an iPad inside the home included:
“I hate my child.”
“I did not love my adopted child.”
These searches were made only days before L.L. was found unresponsive.
Boy Found Unresponsive, Soaked and Emaciated
On Dec. 21, 2022, L.L. was discovered unresponsive, soaking wet and covered in vomit, inside the Milton home. He was so severely underweight that a doctor testified the 12-year-old appeared closer to the size of a 6-year-old.
His cause of death has not been definitively determined, though experts say it may have been hypothermia or cardiac arrest linked to severe malnourishment.
J.L., now 13, also testified during the trial.
Prosecutors state that despite claiming to “love” the boys, the two women subjected them to years of escalating cruelty, culminating in L.L.’s death. The brothers had lived with the couple since 2017 and were reportedly in the final stages of adoption.
Defense Claims They Did Their Best — Prosecution Argues Abuse Was Systematic
Cooney testified that the boys had behavioral issues and that she and her wife tried to manage them as best as they could.
But prosecutors maintain the pattern of behavior — restraints, food deprivation, lengthy confinement, contemptuous messages, and degrading treatment — demonstrates deliberate and ongoing abuse.
The trial, which began in mid-September, is ongoing.
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