A court in Ontario has heard disturbing details about the final hours of a 12-year-old boy known as LL. Prosecutors say he spent his last moments locked in a basement, crying and trying to escape. He was living with a couple who hoped to adopt him, Becky Hamber and Brandy Cooney, who now face charges including first-degree murder. They have pleaded not guilty.

LL was found on December 21, 2022, extremely thin, cold, and unresponsive. Despite emergency care, he could not be saved. Witnesses say he had been screaming for help and banging on the locked basement door. At one point, he reportedly shouted, “This is not going to get any better.”

A social worker told the court that LL slept on a small cot and often became sick, but his sleeping area was rarely cleaned. The couple claimed he had an eating disorder, yet their explanation did not match what investigators saw.

LL’s younger brother, identified as JL, also gave emotional testimony. He said the couple punished the boys harshly, sometimes forcing them to wear helmets and wetsuits for long periods. He claimed they were locked in their rooms at night and were sometimes banned from speaking for days.

Defense lawyers argue that the boys were difficult and often destructive. Prosecutors say the children were controlled through fear, strict rules, and isolation.

The trial is ongoing and is expected to continue through December.