Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

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Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

Children not related; no details released

Last Updated: Friday, January 8, 2010 | 12:28 PM ET

CBC News


A senior health official in Oshawa, Ont., says he is confident the sudden deaths of two children were not due to H1N1 influenza.

Two children, whose names, sex and ages have not been released, died at the Lakeridge Hospital in Oshawa within a 24-hour period. The exact date of their deaths has not been released.

Dr. William Lucas, the supervising coroner for Ontario's central region, said Friday that one death is definitely not due to H1N1 and he suspects the other death is not related to the virus either.

Lucas told CBC News that the children were not related and that the timing of their deaths appears to be a coincidence. He would not give any further information about the children, other than to say they do not have the same family name.

The Durham Regional Police Service is assisting in the investigation, but Lucas said this is standard procedure when there is a sudden unexpected death, especially involving young children.

The children arrived at the hospital at different times on the same day.

Both are from the same community.

On Thursday evening, Lakeridge officials confirmed the deaths of the two children, but would not provide any further information.

"Due to privacy issues and out of respect for the grieving families, it is inappropriate to speculate or discuss specific patient information," said the statement from Lakeridge Health, which operates hospitals in Durham Region, just east of Toronto.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/01/08/oshawa-deaths.html?ref=rss

 

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Re: Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

Appears to be two different causes of death (and one has been detrmined but not yet released), and neither appears to be flu.

http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/748087--h1n1-ruled-out-in-durham-child-deaths?bn=1

H1N1 ruled out in Durham child deathsJennifer Stone
Torstar News Service Published On Fri Jan 8 2010Email Print Republish Add to Favourites Report an error Share Share Article
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Autopsies have been completed on two children who died in a 24-hour span in Durham region, and while cause of deaths has not been released, neither appears to be related to H1N1.

Durham Regional Police have investigated both cases.

Lakeridge Health issued a statement Thursday evening, in response to a media report, indicating two pediatric patients who were "not actively treated at Lakeridge Health" had died recently. Due to privacy issues, the hospital corporation would release no further information, including the ages of the children, the symptoms they displayed or even which Lakeridge site the children had been taken to.

Lakeridge did indicate that under such circumstances, autopsies are generally done.

Those autopsies were completed Thursday, said Dr. William Lucas, the regional supervising coroner with responsibility for Durham.

"The two (deaths) are not related in any way, shape or form," he said, noting the children had neither a familial relationship or, it appears, the same cause of death. Not only that, but "they're not looking like they're in any way related to H1N1."

Flu has been ruled out in one case, and in the other, pathologists are awaiting final test results to officially rule out H1N1.

"But, appearances suggest it does not look like it's going in that direction," Dr. Lucas said.

The cause of death has been determined for one child, but citing privacy reasons, the coroner's office could not release that information.

Police typically investigate in the case of any sudden or unexpected death.

 

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Re: Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

And there we go. The one death is apparently a homicide, not an infectious disease at all. Maybe that should be put in the title of the thread.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/01/08/12390731.html

News Toronto & GTA
Oshawa boy, 2, dead, 26-year-old man charged
By DON PEAT, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: 8th January 2010, 3:16pm

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Kegan Davis, 2, was found dead in his Oshawa home on Tuesday, Durham Regional Police said. Michael Monckton, 26, has been charged with second-degree murder. A two-year-old boy in Oshawa is dead and a 26-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder, Durham Regional Police said Friday.

Kegan Davis is Durham Region's first homicide of this year.

Police and ambulance went to the basement apartment where little Kegan lived on Tuesday to find the little boy dead, police said.

Michael Monckton, 26, was also in the apartment and after the post-mortem results revealed the death was a homicide, he was charged with second-degree murder, police said.

Lakeridge Health Centre issued a statement Friday morning offering condolences after two children died at their Oshawa hospital on Tuesday.

The death of the other child, a nine-year-old girl, is not considered suspicious and is in the hands of the regional coroner.

The investigation into Kegan's death is ongoing and Durham Regional Police homicide investigators would like to speak with anyone who has information regarding this investigation.

Monckton is scheduled to appear in court this afternoon.

Anyone with information about this investigation is asked to contact Det. Tom Dingwall or Det. Mike Horrocks of the DRPS Homicide Unit at 1-888-579-1520 ext. 5319. Anonymous tips can be made to Durham Regional Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) and tipsters may be eligible for a cash reward of up to $2,000.

 

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Re: Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

While the twoyear-old was murdered, they have not ruled out H1N1 in the 9 year-old's death.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/01/08/oshawa-deaths.html

Death of 2 children at Ont. hospital unrelated
Last Updated: Friday, January 8, 2010 | 6:40 PM ET
CBC News
One of the two children who died within hours of each other at Lakeridge Hospital in Oshawa, Ont., was the victim of a homicide, police say.

A report that two children had died within a 24-hour period at the same hospital sparked fears that the deaths may have been linked to H1N1 ? but Durham Regional Police said Friday that one of the children was a toddler who was killed Tuesday.

Police have charged a 26-year-old Oshawa man with second-degree murder in connection to the boy's death. A publication ban issued by a judge on Friday prevents the publication of the names of the boy or the accused.

Dr. William Lucas, the supervising coroner for Ontario?s central region, said Friday that the two deaths aren?t related in any way.

Lucas said he doesn?t believe that H1N1 played a role in the death of the second child, but added that he is still waiting for autopsy results.

On Thursday evening, Lakeridge officials confirmed the deaths of the two children, but would not provide any further information.

"Due to privacy issues and out of respect for the grieving families, it is inappropriate to speculate or discuss specific patient information," said the statement from Lakeridge Health, which operates hospitals in Durham Region, just east of Toronto.

 

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Re: Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

More details on the funeral of the murdered child. No futher word yet on the other one.

A warning to all tracking this thread: Apparently this article says that the judge has barred the release of the name of this child. If anyone accidentally finds it, DO NOT publish it here, as FT would then be in violation of that order.

http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2010/01/09/12405031.html

Memorial for slain Oshawa tot
By DON PEAT and TAMARA CHERRY, Toronto Sun

Last Updated: 10th January 2010, 5:42am
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Several stuffed animals and a bouquet of flowers have been left as a memorial to a slain two-year-old boy in Oshawa. (TAMARA CHERRY/Toronto Sun) Stuffed animals and a bouquet of flowers stood guard in the snow yesterday outside the scene of Oshawa's first homicide of 2010.

The toys were final gifts left by unknown mourners for the two-year-old boy who was found dead inside the basement apartment of the Southgate Dr. home on Tuesday. On Friday, Durham Regional Police announced they had charged a 26-year-old man with second-degree murder.

In a rare and sweeping ban, police said a justice of the peace, at the request of the man's defence counsel, ordered both the name of the accused and the name of the tiny toddler to be barred from publication.

A Facebook tribute to the toddler started by his father earlier this week had garnered more than 1,500 followers by last night.

Early yesterday the boy's mother, who cannot be named to avoid identifying her slain son, wrote a heartfelt message thanking family and friends for their love and support.

"We appreciate all the kind words and thoughts from everyone whose lives our precious son was able to touch," she wrote. "There are no words to describe what we are all going through but we need to find a stable ground that we can make peace with and begin to grieve the loss of our beautiful son.

"(Our son) will be missed by all but will never leave our hearts and soul, that is where he shall live on forever."

Most people driving along the quiet residential street yesterday slowed down as they passed the house, some even pointing and rolling down their windows to see the empty bungalow that was no longer under police guard.

In the house's backyard, an empty kiddie pool and child's wagon could be seen, frozen signs that a toddler once lived here.

Just after 5 p.m., a red pick-up truck and a white car registered to the toddler's mother pulled into the abandoned driveway.

The woman in the mother's car went in through the side door, which leads to the basement suite where the boy was found.

A young man carrying armfuls of belongings from the basement suite to the car said, "She's in there. We're just helping her move," referring to the boy's mother.

The mother is doing "good" considering the circumstances, but, said the man, "she doesn't want to talk."

A child's car seat remained inside the side door, where knocks and the doorbell went unanswered.

Murray Jibb, who has lived on the street for 20 years, called the case "very shocking, heart-breaking news for the neighbourhood."

"It's unbelievable," Jibb said.

Though Jibb said he knows many of the residents on the street, he didn't know the people involved and "wouldn't recognize" them if he saw them.

"I've seen the odd mother and baby carriage coming down the sidewalk here," he said. "I guess they kinda stay low."

The home is surrounded by retirees, "well-liked people, respectable," Jibb said. "Quiet street."

Oshawa Mayor John Gray told the Sun that the tragedy has shaken the city.

"We like to think that we're immune from some of these social ills," he said, adding that although Oshawa is a city, it still has that small town feel. "When something like this hits home, it hits especially hard."

DON.PEAT@SUNMEDIA.CA

 

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Re: Child deaths near Toronto not H1N1: coroner

And we get final details. The name of the child is published, and the cause of death is trauma.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2010/01/12/oshawa-publication-ban643.html

Publication ban on toddler death in Oshawa, Ont., lifted
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 12, 2010 | 6:29 PM ET Comments0Recommend0CBC News
More than 2,000 people joined a Facebook page in memory of Keagan Davis over the weekend. (Facebook)A court-ordered publication ban on the identities of an Oshawa man and the two-year-old boy he is accused of killing has been lifted.

The ban was put into place last Friday, three days after 2?-year-old Keagan Davis was found dead in his home in Oshawa, Ont.

Michael Monckton, 26, was charged with second-degree murder in the little boy's death.

Crown attorneys who first requested the ban appear to have had a change of heart, saying the parents of the boy have consented to his name being published.

The Toronto Sun quoted Crown attorney Lorianne Turner as saying on Tuesday that "circumstances have changed" over the weekend.

The effectiveness of the publication ban was tested immediately after it was ordered. Keagan's father had set up a Facebook page in his son's memory that featured numerous pictures of the child and identified him by name, an apparent violation of the ban.

The status of the page was later made private, but more than 2,000 people joined the page over the weekend.

Durham police have described Monckton as an Oshawa resident who was "associated with the deceased." Neighbours have identified Monckton as the boyfriend of the toddler's mother.

Monckton is still in custody and will make a court appearance in Oshawa on Wednesday morning via video link.

An autopsy determined the cause of death was trauma to the body. The boy's funeral will be held Friday in Oshawa.