EDMONTON — The mother of two little boys found dead in the bathtub of their home has been charged with their murder.
RCMP say Allyson McConnell, who is now in custody in a medical facility under 24-hour watch, faces two counts of second-degree murder in the deaths of 10-month-old Jayden and his 2 1/2-year-old brother Connor.
“She is in a medical facility and will remain under 24-hour supervision until she is deemed medically able to be transferred to a correctional facility,” RCMP spokesman Cpl. Wayne Oakes said Tuesday.
Friends of the family have said the bodies of the little boys were found on Feb. 1 by their father, Curtis McConnell, who rushed to the family’s Millet, Alta., home after police called to tell him his wife was in hospital.
Police have said a woman tried to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge in Edmonton that afternoon, but haven’t confirmed that person’s identity. A car that police said has ties to the McConnell home was found in the parking lot of a toy store near the bridge. Millet is 40 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.
Citing privacy legislation, Oakes couldn’t provide details of what kind of medical condition was keeping the accused out of a regular correctional facility. He said the decision to transfer her will be made by both legal and medical staff.
Allyson and Curtis met in 2005 when Allyson, an Australian citizen, was living in Canada on a work permit. They were married in Australia in 2007 and moved back to Canada.
However, court documents show the two were in the midst of a bitter divorce. Custody of the children was a major issue, especially since Allyson had expressed a desire to return to her home country.
In an affidavit, Curtis said Allyson had “been threatening me that she wants to move back to Australia with our children. I am fearful that she will attempt to do this without my consent or knowledge. I have taken our children’s passports for safekeeping.”
A statement of defence filed on behalf of Allyson noted that she has limited family contacts in Alberta but “a broad network of support in Australia” and would “be entitled to significant government financial support should she return to Australia.”
The document also says she would have better professional opportunities in Australia.
A final decision in the case had not been made. But the judge had ruled the children should stay in Alberta under joint custody, staying with Allyson, while the matter was being sorted out.
Curtis McConnell, 31, said on a Facebook memorial to his sons that he has been left with “unanswerable questions.” He said that although he couldn’t protect his children, he can still work to be the best person he can be for them. “I have to live the life my kids would want me to live.”
Allyson McConnell is scheduled to appear in Wetaskiwin provincial court on March 16 to answer to the charges.
The main difference between second-degree and first-degree murder is that first-degree murder involves premeditation.
Oakes said police have already interviewed McConnell. He couldn’t say if she faces a psychiatric assessment.