A Canadian couple accused of murdering a 12-year-old boy they were in the process of adopting allegedly kept him confined to a basement bedroom for as many as 18 hours a day, Crown prosecutors told the court.
Becky Hamber, 45, and Brandy Cooney, 43, are on trial following the child’s death at a weight of just 48 pounds, according to CBC Hamilton.
Cooney testified this week for the defense, answering questions about how she and Hamber treated the boy and his younger brother, who was 10 at the time of the older child’s death. She described herself and Hamber as caring but overwhelmed parents, saying they struggled with what she claimed were severe developmental challenges tied to the boys’ early trauma.
Prosecutors painted a sharply different picture during cross-examination. They alleged the children were routinely locked in their rooms from about 6 p.m. until noon the next day. They further claimed the boys were allowed out only once overnight—when they were woken to use the bathroom—and that doing so required help from one of the women because the children were allegedly made to wear wetsuits that were zip-tied so they could not be removed.
Once inside their rooms, prosecutors alleged, the boys were forced to exercise while being watched through video cameras installed in the space.
Cooney acknowledged that the boys were made to do activities while confined, CBC reported, including burpees, wall-sits, walking laps, or reading. The burpees, she said, were often used as punishment. Prosecutors also referenced a text message Cooney allegedly sent to Hamber on Christmas Eve: “Tell them good luck figuring out burpees in the shower when they bitch about never having food.”
At the time of that message, the brothers were 10 and 8, according to the report.
Last month, the surviving brother testified against the two women, alleging that while the couple posted images of gourmet meals, he and his brother were eating pureed food. He also told the court he watched his brother deteriorate from what he described as “severe malnutrition” in the weeks leading up to his death on Dec. 10, 2024.
Dr. Emma Cory, a pediatrician called by prosecutors as an expert witness, testified that the boy weighed 48 pounds when he died—less than he weighed at age 6, CBC reported. The outlet also reported that one defense lawyer remarked the child looked like a “Holocaust survivor.” The surviving brother testified the victim’s weight dropped as low as 43 pounds at one point.
Cooney testified that the child’s low weight was connected to frequent regurgitation.
Cooney also told the court that she and Hamber sometimes zip-tied the boys into wetsuits and, at times, helmets, saying they feared one or both might self-harm. She testified that the measures were also intended to protect herself and Hamber.
“There were a lot of injuries over the years,” Cooney said, according to CBC. “We were often hit, punched, kicked, stuff thrown at us.”
Cooney claimed one child shoved Hamber, causing Hamber to fracture her arm. But prosecutors said there is no record of any medical visit for Hamber around the time Cooney said the injury occurred.
Both Hamber and Cooney have pleaded not guilty. Hamber is expected to testify in January 2026.
