A horrific trial underway in Ontario has seen two women plead not guilty to the first-degree murder of a 12-year-old boy they’d planned to adopt.

Burlington residents Brandy Cooney and Becky Hamber are also charged with confinement, assault with a weapon — zip ties — and failing to provide the necessaries of life to the boy’s younger brother.

The boy who died on Dec. 21, 2022, is referred to in court as L.L. as his identity is protected under a publication ban to protect the name of his younger brother, known as J.L. The exact cause of death of the 12-year-old hasn’t yet been established in court.

The judge-only trial, under Justice Clayton Conlan, began in Superior Court in Milton last month with Crown attorney Kelli Frew’s opening statement.

“Brothers [L.L. and J.L.] needed a forever

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