Ontario couple found guilty of boy’s murder, brother’s torture

Critics call in for convert after dying of Indigenous boy in further care

Ontario's former child advocate says children's aid societies made 'bad decisions' leading up to death of boy

"Both Ms Cooney and Hamber are found guilty on all counts," Conlan reads.

"Both Ms Cooney and Hamber are found guilty on all counts," Conlan reads.

Conlan says his reasons for judgment are close to 300 pages, including two appendices, so he will not be reading out his reasons in their entirety.

"I will simply read the last part," he says.

Now, Hamber is walking in with her police escort.

Her lawyers, Monte MacGregor and Nabeel Sheiban, speak to her and she sits down.

All the Crown and defence lawyers are present.

Police just escorted Cooney into the courtroom. 

She looked around and then sat down in a prisoner's box before speaking with her lawyer, Kim Edward.

There are over two dozen people in the courtroom now before proceedings begin.

Several people are wearing orange shirts — a common symbol used to advocate for Indigenous child welfare.

The trial hasn't heard much about why L.L. And J.L. Came into foster care in the first place, but we know the Children’s Aid Society got involved due to concerns about the home environment of their biological parents. 

The two brothers had been living with their grandparents.

They had been with a foster family starting when L.L. Was two years old. In October 2017, when L.L. Was six, the brothers moved in with Cooney and Hamber. 

The boys continued to be the wards of the Ottawa CAS, but the prospective adoptive family was under the supervision of the Halton CAS. 

Hamber and Cooney wanted to adopt the brothers, but never did before the criminal charges were laid.

The trial heard L.L.'s and J.L.'s Indigenous identities became a point of contention for their prospective adoptive parents.

In January, Hamber testified she and Cooney were told the boys were Indigenous prior to starting the adoption process, but then received conflicting information about the community they belonged to. She said Cooney has a Six Nations background and independently investigated the boys' identities, finding they were not Indigenous.

Hamber said she and Cooney "never" received answers from either children's aid agency, but still sought supports specific to Indigenous children. She testified she and Cooney wanted to ensure they could provide culturally important teachings to the brothers.

In December, the trial viewed a video Hamber recorded in 2023 in which she said the agencies conspired with police to criminally prosecute her and Cooney to cover up the truth about the boys' identities.

In the witness box in January, Hamber said she no longer believed that.

At one point in the trial, Justice Clayton Conlan said he found it "offensive" the couple would doubt the boys' identities.

We're outside the courtroom waiting for another matter to conclude before the Cooney-Hamber trial decision starts.

Including reporters, over 20 people are waiting. 

Ahead of Justice Conlan's decision today, L.L.'s and J.L.'s biological mother spoke out for the first time.

"We are real people, a family who has lived through heartbreak," she said.

The mother described L.L. And his siblings as "funny and intelligent human beings with bigger-than-life personalities." 

She asked that people listen to her words "with compassion," remembering her sons "deserve dignity and respect."

Critics call for change after death of Indigenous boy in foster care

The murder trial of a couple charged in the death of a 12-year-old and the alleged assault, confinement and neglect of his younger brother has wrapped. Both of the Indigenous boys had been in the care of Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber for five years, as the couple was trying to adopt them. A judge’s decision is expected in the spring but children's rights advocates who’ve been following the trial are calling for immediate change to how the Children’s Aid Society operates, particularly with Indigenous youth.

The Hamber-Cooney case has been under scrutiny by child welfare advocates.

Irwin Elman, who was Ontario's independent watchdog for child welfare, said he thought the children's aid societies responsible for L.L. And J.L. Made "some really bad decisions." 

The boys were wards of the Ottawa Children's Aid Society (CAS). Halton CAS was responsible for the day-to-day handling of their case. 

Cheyanne Ratnam grew up in the child welfare system and now works as a child rights advocate.

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