Prosecutors in Ontario have wrapped up closing arguments in the first-degree murder trial of two foster mothers accused of starving and abusing their foster children, leading to one boy's death. Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber face charges including murder and failing to provide necessaries of life after 12-year-old L.L. was found dead in their Milton home in 2022. The judge will decide the case without a jury.
In Milton, Ontario, attorneys delivered closing arguments on Friday in the trial of Brandy Cooney, 44, and Becky Hamber, 46, who have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, confinement, assault with a weapon, and failing to provide the necessaries of life to their foster children, L.L. and his younger brother J.L. The proceedings stem from the discovery of L.L.'s body on December 21, 2022, when first responders found the 12-year-old unresponsive, soaking wet, covered in vomit, and severely emaciated, appearing as young as 6 years old. A pathologist suggested possible causes including hypothermia or cardiac arrest from malnourishment but could not determine an exact cause of death. The trial began in September and has no jury; Superior Court Justice Clayton Conlan will render the verdict. Prosecutors, led by Monica MacKenzie, alleged the women starved the boys, isolated them in locked basement rooms wearing wet suits and helmets, and expressed hatred toward them. They cited text messages, including one stating 'Shiver shiver dumb f—' and proposing exercise to keep the boys warm, as well as Cooney's message to Hamber about a month before L.L.'s death: 'Unfortunately my thoughts [are] he is suddenly going to die and im going to jail.' Defense attorneys countered that the children were difficult to manage, and the helmets and wet suits prevented bathroom accidents and self-harm. They noted that child welfare workers and health professionals were aware of these methods and raised no concerns. L.L.'s former foster mother described the trial to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation as feeling like 'the trial that never ends.'