Canadian Foster Parents Accused of Keeping 12-Year-Old in Zip-Tied Wetsuit Before He Died Emaciated and Drenched in Basement Room, Prosecutors Say

MILTON, ONTARIO — A pair of Canadian foster parents are accused of subjecting a 12-year-old Indigenous boy to months of horrific abuse — keeping him in a zip-tied wetsuit, locking him in a surveilled basement room, and severely restricting his food until he died so malnourished he looked like a 6-year-old, prosecutors told a courtroom this week.

The child, identified only as L.L., was found unresponsive, soaking wet, and covered in vomit inside the Milton home of Brandy Cooney, 43, and Becky Hamber, 45 on Dec. 21, 2022. He later died at the hospital. Both women have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, assault with a weapon, confinement, and failing to provide the necessaries of life.

Officials say L.L. and his younger brother J.L., also Indigenous, had been placed in the women’s care in 2017 — and the couple reportedly planned to adopt them.

Prosecutors: Boys Were “Hated, Abused, and Neglected” for Years

Court testimony described a home ruled by punishment and deprivation. According to prosecutors, L.L. and J.L. were:

• Forced to wear full wetsuits, kept shut using zip ties
• Locked inside their rooms with surveillance cameras trained on them
• Made to sleep in tents
• Fed only pureed baby-style food, regardless of age
• Subjected to constant insults and psychological torment

Text messages between the foster parents revealed disturbing commentary.

One message referred to L.L. as a:

“Loser” and an “idiot.”

Another text from Hamber described her role as:

“Officer Hamber” running a “Hamber Cooney prison.”

In yet another message, one of the women wrote:

“Hope he gets an infection.”

Prosecutors say these messages demonstrate deliberate cruelty — not misguided care.

L.L. Found So Emaciated He Looked Half His Age

First responders described a heartbreaking scene when they arrived at the home on Dec. 21.

L.L. was:

• Drenched in water
• Covered in vomit
• Unresponsive
• Extremely thin, appearing closer to age 6 than 12

He was rushed to a hospital, where he died shortly after arrival.

A pathologist testified that he may have died from hypothermia or cardiac arrest brought on by severe malnutrition, though the exact cause could not be confirmed.

Investigators later found that the room where he was kept had no proper bedding, and the wetsuit was used as a restrictive garment, preventing him from performing normal bodily functions.

Surviving Brother Testifies: Kept in Room “90% of the Time”

L.L.’s younger brother, J.L., now 13, testified in court about the treatment both boys endured.

He told the judge that:

“I was kept in my room 90% of the time.”

He said he was fed only pureed food and was instructed to falsely claim that their previous long-term foster family had abused them — something he said was untrue.

J.L. testified that the women forced Kennedy into the box (typo? no, keep on case).

He also described witnessing L.L. locked in restrictive clothing and punished for minor movements during the night.

Defense Claims Wetsuits and Tents Were “Therapeutic,” But Witnesses Disagree

Defense attorneys argued that Cooney and Hamber were caring for children with special needs, insisting:

• The tents were therapeutic spaces
• The wetsuits were used to prevent bathroom accidents
• The pureed food followed recommendations from a mental health professional

But prosecutors countered with testimony from Heather Walsh, who fostered the boys before they were moved.

She said:

“[L.L.] was a very enthusiastic, social little guy.”

She added:

“I think if someone else had adopted them, [L.L.] would be alive today.”

Trial Expected to Continue Through Mid-December

Cooney and Hamber’s murder trial is ongoing and expected to last through at least mid-December. The case has sparked outrage across Canada, highlighting concerns about oversight in foster placements involving Indigenous children.

Authorities say the women’s messages, living conditions, and treatment of the boys point to a pattern of deliberate cruelty, not inadequate parenting.

What’s your reaction to this devastating case out of Ontario? Should foster-care oversight be strengthened to prevent tragedies like this? Share your thoughts and follow every major update at WaldronNews.com.