Judge to rule in Milton child murder trial

In Milton, Ontario, a judge is scheduled to deliver a ruling today in the trial of Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney, two women charged with first-degree murder in the death of a 12-year-old boy they were attempting to adopt, along with multiple offenses including forcible confinement of the boy's younger brother.

The case stems from an incident in December 2022, when emergency crews responded to a home for a child reported without vital signs. Investigators found the 12-year-old dead at the scene. Police stated at the time of the arrests that Hamber and Cooney were the prospective adoptive parents of the boys. The younger brother faced related charges of forcible confinement and other offenses against him.

The trial has proceeded without a jury, heard solely by a judge at the Milton courthouse. Neither the victims nor their mother can be identified due to a publication ban.

In a statement provided through her lawyer, the boys' mother described her sons as "amazing, funny and intelligent human beings with bigger than life personalities." She added, "I want people to understand that we are not just a case or a story. We are real people, a family who has lived through heartbreak. They...