The mother pleaded guilty to second-degree murder; the boys died Dec. 10, 2023, nine days after their father’s death.
TORONTO — A Superior Court judge on Monday imposed life in prison with no chance of parole for 18 years on a 27-year-old Toronto mother who admitted killing her sons, ages five and four, inside their apartment nearly two years ago.
The sentencing marks the end of the court phase in a case that reverberated through a grieving family and a midtown neighborhood. Prosecutors and defense counsel jointly proposed the parole ineligibility period after a psychiatric assessment found the woman was deeply distressed following her husband’s death but remained criminally responsible. With the guilty pleas to two counts of second-degree murder, the case did not proceed to trial, and the judge emphasized the permanence of a life sentence under Canadian law even when parole eligibility is set below the 25-year maximum.
In a statement to the court, the woman cried and apologized to relatives of the boys and to friends of her late husband, a 72-year-old who died Dec. 1, 2023, after leukemia treatment. The agreed facts said first responders arrived the night of Dec. 10 after reports of a fall. Paramedics found the mother outside the building with catastrophic injuries; police then entered the unit and located the children without vital signs. Both were pronounced dead in hospital. The woman, who survived a jump from a balcony, is now paraplegic. “I’m so grateful I got to be your mom,” she said, before acknowledging the harm her actions caused.
The Crown told the court the method of killing left no doubt about intent. Initially charged with two counts of first-degree murder, the woman later pleaded to second-degree murder, which also carries a life term but allows the judge to set a parole ineligibility range of 10 to 25 years. A forensic psychiatrist testified she suffered an adjustment disorder and intense grief in the days after her husband’s death yet understood the nature and quality of her acts. Investigators documented that the boys were found near a television. Funeral clothing, a cross and a photograph of their father were seen in the room, details the judge referenced while describing the scene.
Court records trace the timeline from the father’s death through the charges laid five days after the children were found. Through 2024, the defense pursued medical and psychological assessments while prosecutors completed disclosure and witness interviews. The woman appeared by video from the South West Detention Centre in Windsor for key hearings, including Monday’s sentencing. The judge accepted the joint submission, noting appellate courts warn against departing from joint positions without clear and cogent reasons. The decision fixes the earliest date the woman may apply for parole, though any release would depend on a federal board’s risk assessment many years from now.
Outside court, relatives offered short remarks, some declining interviews. A neighbor who wrote to the court said the family had been quiet and largely kept to themselves while the father underwent treatment. The judge thanked sheriff’s officers, court clerks and police for their work. There was no outburst as the sentence was read. The courtroom emptied in silence, leaving behind the stark facts: two children dead, a mother headed to prison for life and a family still arranging private memorials.
With Monday’s ruling, the file now shifts to federal corrections for placement and medical care decisions. No additional court dates are scheduled. The next formal milestone will not come until the parole ineligibility period ends and the case becomes eligible for review.
Author note: Last updated November 19, 2025.