ONTARIO, CANADA - A trial has concluded after prosecutors presented their closing arguments in the case of two women who allegedly abused their foster children so badly that one of them died soaking wet in a locked basement room.
The alleged suspects, 44-year-old Brandy Cooney and 46-year-old Becky Hamber, have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, confinement, assault with a weapon, and failing to provide the necessities of life, Law & Crime reported.
The case was launched after authorities found a 12-year-old boy referred to as L.L. dead in the couple's Milton home in Ontario, Canada. First responders arrived at the home to find L.L. unresponsive, soaking wet, and covered in vomit.
Authorities said that the boy was so emaciated that, though he was 12 years old, he looked like he could have been six. The boy was later pronounced dead, possibly from hypothermia or cardiac arrest due to severe malnourishment, a pathologist reported. However, they noted that they were unable to rule on the exact cause of death.
The trial of Cooney and Hamber began in September 2025. The former foster mother of L.L. and J.L., who was L.L.'s younger brother, told the CBC that it "feels like the trial never ends."
In their closing arguments, prosecutors alleged that the women starved their foster children and kept them isolated in wet suits and helmets because they "hated" them. The prosecutors pointed to messages from the women, including a text where one of them allegedly wrote, "Shiver shiver dumb f*ck" and suggested using exercise as a way for the boys to stay warm.
About a month before L.L.'s death, Cooney texted Hamber, "Unfortunately, my thoughts [are] he is suddenly going to die and I'm going to jail," prosecutor Monica MacKenzie said, adding that this message showed the women knew the consequences of their actions.
Defense attorneys argued that the children were difficult to handle and that measures such as the helmets and wet suits were to keep the kids from having bathroom accidents all over the place and to prevent them from hurting themselves.
The defense also contended that child aid workers and health professionals who checked on the boys knew about the women's methods and never raised any concerns. There is no jury in the trial. Superior Court Justice Clayton Conlan will decide if the women are guilty.
The alleged suspects, 44-year-old Brandy Cooney and 46-year-old Becky Hamber, have pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, confinement, assault with a weapon, and failing to provide the necessities of life, Law & Crime reported.
The case was launched after authorities found a 12-year-old boy referred to as L.L. dead in the couple's Milton home in Ontario, Canada. First responders arrived at the home to find L.L. unresponsive, soaking wet, and covered in vomit.
Authorities said that the boy was so emaciated that, though he was 12 years old, he looked like he could have been six. The boy was later pronounced dead, possibly from hypothermia or cardiac arrest due to severe malnourishment, a pathologist reported. However, they noted that they were unable to rule on the exact cause of death.
The trial of Cooney and Hamber began in September 2025. The former foster mother of L.L. and J.L., who was L.L.'s younger brother, told the CBC that it "feels like the trial never ends."
In their closing arguments, prosecutors alleged that the women starved their foster children and kept them isolated in wet suits and helmets because they "hated" them. The prosecutors pointed to messages from the women, including a text where one of them allegedly wrote, "Shiver shiver dumb f*ck" and suggested using exercise as a way for the boys to stay warm.
About a month before L.L.'s death, Cooney texted Hamber, "Unfortunately, my thoughts [are] he is suddenly going to die and I'm going to jail," prosecutor Monica MacKenzie said, adding that this message showed the women knew the consequences of their actions.
Defense attorneys argued that the children were difficult to handle and that measures such as the helmets and wet suits were to keep the kids from having bathroom accidents all over the place and to prevent them from hurting themselves.
The defense also contended that child aid workers and health professionals who checked on the boys knew about the women's methods and never raised any concerns. There is no jury in the trial. Superior Court Justice Clayton Conlan will decide if the women are guilty.
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