What to know about the trial as closing arguments begin

Closing submissions begin today in Milton, Ont., at the trial of the Burlington couple accused in the death of a 12-year-old and crimes against his younger brother.

Becky Hamber, 46, and Brandy Cooney, 44, are alleged to have abused and neglected the brothers, who had been living with the couple for about five years after the brothers were with foster parents in Ottawa.

The Indigenous boys’ identities are protected under a publication ban. For our coverage, we’re referring to the older boy, who was 12 when he died on Dec. 21, 2022, as L.L. and his younger brother as J.L.

The couple have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder of L.L., as well as not guilty to confinement, assault with a weapon — zip ties — and failing to provide the necessaries of life to J.L. 

The judge-alone trial, which began in mid-September in Superior Court, is before Justice Clayton Conlan.

Over seven months, the trial has heard from dozens of witnesses, including social service workers, health professionals, educators and police. Hamber, Cooney, and J.L., now 14, also testified over multiple days. 

Evidence includes thousands of deleted text messages that police accessed, hours of audio recordings and hundreds of images, including from security cameras the women used to surveil the boys.

Witness testimony wrapped Jan. 23, with Conlan calling the trial “lengthy and difficult.” Closing arguments are scheduled after today for March 27.

After closing arguments, Conlan will likely decide Cooney’s and Hamber’s fate sometime this spring.