The heartwarming tale of two orphaned siblings seeking a new home took a nightmarish turn as a couple aiming to adopt them subjected the boys to a series of brutal acts, as revealed in court.
Tragically, one of the children, a 12-year-old referred to as LL, endured a harrowing ordeal in his final moments, screaming and retching in agony while trying to escape a locked basement. Allegedly, the prospective adoptive parents callously observed as he suffered, leading to his untimely demise. The accused women are charged with the murder of LL, who sought care but was allegedly subjected to squalid living conditions and prolonged torment instead.
Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder charges. Additionally, they deny accusations of confinement, weapon assault, and neglecting the basic needs of LL’s younger brother, JL, who provided testimony during the trial. LL was under the care of the women as they finalized his adoption process.
Prosecutors assert that the couple mistreated and neglected the children, allegedly fabricating or exaggerating behavioral issues to service providers. Conversely, the defense argues that the women made efforts to care for the brothers, who had special needs, with limited support.
When LL was discovered by paramedics, he was found emaciated, soaked, and unresponsive in the basement of the couple’s Toronto residence. Despite being rushed to the hospital, he tragically succumbed on December 21, 2022, appearing much younger due to severe malnutrition.
Reports indicate that LL had been trapped in the basement for extended periods, crying, retching, and shouting in distress. Witnesses recounted instances of him banging on the door in a desperate attempt to escape, expressing his anguish with the words, “This is not going to get any better.”
During the trial, social worker Faisel Mohdi testified that LL slept on a soiled cot often covered in vomit. Mohdi claimed that Cooney’s father, residing with the women, indicated that the sleeping area was rarely cleaned beyond a cursory wipe-down. The father allegedly remarked, “Do you know how much laundry [Cooney and Hamber] already have to do?” in an interview with Mohdi.
Following LL’s demise, Mohdi interviewed the couple in a hotel room. The social worker reportedly viewed footage from a camera in the boy’s room stored on one of the women’s phones. Cooney and Hamber claimed that LL had been mostly alone on the day of his death, apart from instances of regurgitating meals, according to court accounts.
The couple alleged that LL suffered from an eating disorder, resulting in weight loss and regurgitation. They described his weight at 48 pounds, attributing it to his habit of regurgitating food and ingesting it again. The social worker detailed instances where the couple played music, instructed LL to perform yoga poses, or walk around the basement room while he endured his struggles. Video evidence presented in court featured Hamber directing LL to lie down as a form of discipline.
Surveillance footage from LL’s room ceased around 5 pm, suggesting potential tampering with the camera. The defense cited unreliable internet connectivity and malfunction