Key Takeaways:
- Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney are on trial for the first-degree murder of a 12-year-old boy, L.L., who was in their care.
- The couple has pleaded not guilty to the charges, as well as to charges of confinement, assault with a weapon, and failing to provide the necessaries of life to L.L.’s younger brother, J.L.
- The trial has heard evidence of alleged abuse and neglect, including photos and videos of the boys wearing wetsuits and being confined to their rooms.
- The Crown argues that Hamber and Cooney abused and neglected the children, while the defence claims they were doing their best to care for children with high needs and significant behavioural problems.
- The trial is expected to continue until at least mid-December, with the defence set to begin calling witnesses later this week.
Introduction to the Trial
The trial of Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney, who are accused of the first-degree murder of a 12-year-old boy, L.L., continued on Monday with testimony from Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Julie Powers. Powers led the investigation into the couple and outlined the evidence collected by police, including photos, videos, audio recordings, messages, and call logs from electronic devices seized from the couple’s home. The trial has heard that L.L. was found unresponsive and severely malnourished in the basement of the couple’s home, and that he died shortly after in hospital.
Evidence of Alleged Abuse
Powers testified that photos from earlier in the couple’s time with the boys showed them wearing normal clothes, but that around 2020, pictures showed them wearing onesies. Eventually, all photos showed them wearing wetsuits, or wetsuits under normal clothes. The Crown lawyer, Monica MacKenzie, showed the court wetsuits that had been seized from the couple’s home, which had holes in the neck to be zip-tied onto the boys. Powers also noted that police had seized bags containing zip ties of all sizes from the home. The defence has claimed that the boys wore wetsuits because they were peeing in the home, but J.L. denied this when he testified.
Lack of Evidence of Normal Childhood
MacKenzie also asked Powers about what the photos did not show, including any images of the boys playing with friends or Hamber with injuries such as a broken arm. Powers said that there were no photos of the boys with other kids, and that she did not see any images indicating that Hamber had a broken arm. The trial has heard that Hamber told people that one of the boys had broken her arm, but there is no evidence to support this claim.
Surveillance System
Powers testified that Cooney and Hamber used an app called Wyze to manage the surveillance system in their home, which included security cameras in the boys’ rooms and around the house. She noted that when police searched the house two months after L.L.’s death, the boy’s room had been repainted and the security cameras had been removed. Powers also said that the women’s search histories showed inquiries about how to delete Wyze camera footage and phone photos, as well as attempts to delete text messages on Christmas 2022, days after L.L.’s death.
Audio Recordings
MacKenzie played audio recordings that Powers had obtained from the women’s devices, including a nearly 18-minute file in which L.L. can be heard asking repeatedly to go outside. Nobody responded to his requests in the recording. Powers read from multiple messages that the women sent back and forth about the recording, in which they described L.L. as rude, "a loser", and "such an asshole". In another recording, Cooney and Hamber can be heard arguing with L.L. about doing stairs incorrectly, and calling him a "f–king prick" and an "idiot".
Continuation of the Trial
The trial is set to continue on Tuesday with more testimony from Powers, and the defence is expected to begin calling witnesses later this week. The Crown has called all of its witnesses so far, but the defence claims that they will present a different picture of the couple’s relationship with the boys. The trial is expected to continue until at least mid-December, and the judge will ultimately decide the fate of Hamber and Cooney.