A 12-year-old Indigenous boy wasted away to nothing in a locked basement, soaked and starved by the very women entrusted to adopt him—what drove such calculated cruelty?
Story Snapshot
- Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber face first-degree murder charges for the 2022 death of foster boy L.L. from severe malnutrition.
- Crown prosecutors allege the couple despised the boys, forced them into wet suits, helmets, and isolation while deleting incriminating texts.
- Trial unfolded in Milton, Ontario, revealing Ontario’s foster system placed vulnerable Indigenous children with the accused.
- Younger sibling survived; prior foster mother testified to the boys’ healthy state before transfer.
- Case spotlights vetting failures in foster-to-adopt programs for at-risk kids.
The Boy’s Final Days in a Locked Basement
First responders found 12-year-old L.L. unresponsive on December 21, 2022, in the couple’s Milton, Ontario home. Soaked in vomit and water, he died possibly from hypothermia or cardiac arrest tied to extreme starvation. Pathologists noted his body had shrunk dramatically from malnutrition. Prosecutors detailed forcible confinement in a locked basement room, where the boy endured isolation without food or care. The couple, Brandy Cooney, 44, from Hamilton, and Becky Hamber, 46, from Burlington, held total authority as prospective adoptive parents.
Crown evidence included texts where one woman mocked, “Shiver shiver dumb f—,” suggesting exercise to warm the starving boys kept in wet suits and helmets. These measures allegedly prevented bathroom accidents but prosecutors argued they masked outright hatred and abuse. The younger sibling faced similar torments but survived. Deleted shared messages four days post-death raised suspicions of a cover-up. Ontario child welfare had approved the foster-to-adopt placement over a year earlier.
Path from Foster Care to Courtroom
The boys transferred from a prior foster mother, who testified they arrived healthy in her care. Ontario’s system, strained by Indigenous overrepresentation in foster care, moved them to Cooney and Hamber’s home. GoFundMe posts portrayed the couple as devoted adoptive parents seeking support. Prosecutors countered with assault with a weapon charges and failure to provide necessities. The trial began in September 2025 in Milton courthouse, west of Toronto, with no jury—Justice Clayton Conlan to decide.
Defense lawyers claimed the children proved difficult, justifying helmets and wet suits to curb self-harm and accidents. They noted child aid workers and health professionals visited without flagging issues. Closing arguments in late 2025 highlighted this divide: prosecutors painted deliberate torture; defense stressed overlooked warnings. Guilt remains unproven as deliberations loomed.
Precedents Echoing Systemic Risks
This case mirrors U.S. and U.K. incidents where same-sex couples faced convictions for child torture deaths. Rachel Fee and Nyomi tortured 2-year-old Liam Fee to death in 2014 U.K. Echo Butler and Marie Snyder pleaded guilty in Pennsylvania for murdering young daughters. Marcella Williams and Lisa Coleman executed 9-year-old Davontae Williams in Texas 2004, his body at 35 pounds. A Baltimore case involved a 4-year-old boy’s murder. Forum discussions frame these as a pattern demanding scrutiny.
Common sense aligns with conservative values prioritizing child safety over ideology in placements. Anecdotal precedents lack statistical backing, yet repeated horrors question rushed foster approvals. Ontario’s Indigenous child welfare gaps amplify risks—overrepresentation stems from systemic failures, not vetting rigor. Facts demand tighter safeguards without unsubstantiated generalizations.
Implications for Foster System Reform
Convictions could yield life sentences, spurring reviews of Canada’s foster-to-adopt processes. Indigenous communities bear lasting scars; the deceased boy’s family and surviving sibling face profound loss. Political pressure mounts on Ontario welfare for better Indigenous placements. Broader effects target non-traditional family vetting, echoing U.S. cases. Limited trial updates post-2025 leave outcomes unresolved, but the case underscores protecting vulnerable children first.
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Yet again: A lesbian Canadian couple tortured a 12-year-old boy until he shrunk and died
