Regina mother stands trial for 2nd-degree murder in death of 18-month-old son
Warning: This story contains details some readers may find disturbing
A Regina woman accused of killing her 18-month-old son sat holding a small teddy bear in the prisoner’s box as she listened to prosecutors outline the evidence against her on the first day of trial at the Court of King's Bench.
Chelsea Whitby, 27, is charged with second-degree murder in the death of her son, Emerson.
Autopsy results show the boy died from a brain bleed as a result of head trauma, according to the Crown’s opening statement. Emerson died June 10, 2020 from his injuries.
Whitby denies any trauma ever happened. She has pleaded not guilty and elected to be tried by judge alone.
During his opening remarks, co-Crown prosecutor Adam Breker argued Whitby killed Emerson “in an act of frustration and aggression” in her apartment on the 3200 block of East Arens Road.
“[The injuries] did not spontaneously occur, they were not self-inflicted, they were not caused by someone else,” Breker told court.
“They were inflicted by Chelsea Whitby.”
Court heard a recording of the 911 call placed by Whitby the morning of June 10 after she discovered her son was unresponsive. The accused sat crying while listening to the call play back in the courtroom.
Whitby was heard frantically asking first responders to “please hurry” as her son was “not breathing.”
“Oh my God, he’s like blue,” she told the 911 operator.
The operator walked through the steps of CPR over the phone as Whitby’s then-boyfriend, Taylor Stewart performed mouth-to-mouth and chest compressions until first responders arrived and took over.
At the scene, first responders noticed bruising on Emerson’s face, jawline, upper chest and shoulders, according to Crown witness and firefighter paramedic Spencer Larocque. The bruising matched bruises photographed on the boy’s body during the autopsy.
EMS transported Emerson to Regina General Hospital and he was pronounced brain dead later that afternoon.
Breker said further examination at the hospital revealed Emerson had a fractured clavicle and showed signs of healing rib fractures and a healing skull fracture.
During cross-examination, the defence asked if CPR could result in bruising and broken bones.
“I wouldn’t say it would cause immediate bruising,” Larocque testified.
Larocque admitted that CPR can cause broken ribs and a broken sternum in some cases, but he could not say for certain if it could result in a broken clavicle.
Court heard Emerson had not been feeling well in the day leading up to his death.
Phone records show Whitby called to book a doctor’s appointment for her son the morning he died. The concern listed was vomiting, according to the doctor’s office.
Whitby told EMS on scene that her son had thrown up the night before his death, but had not suffered any recent falls or injuries.
Advanced care paramedic Sarah Erickson responded to the scene. She testified in court that vomiting can be caused by a number of things, but it did not explain the bruising she witnessed nor did that information change the course of treatment for Emerson.
Over the course of the trial, court will hear evidence about previous bruises and injuries found on Emerson after being in his mother’s care, according to Breker.
A few weeks before Emerson’s death, his biological father as well as a doctor contacted the Ministry of Social Services with suspicions of child abuse, the Crown said. They had noticed Emerson sustained “serious visible injuries” while in the care of his mother.
Social services set up a week-long safety plan that placed the boy in the care of Whitby’s mother. Eventually, Emerson was able to return home to live with Whitby. However, her mother had to check in on them daily.
Whitby was arrested and initially charged with manslaughter on Aug. 4, 2020. The charge was upgraded to second-degree murder in October 2021.
She is currently out of custody.
The trial is scheduled for three weeks.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Here's how much more Canadian landlords are asking for now, according to a just-released report
A new report says the average asking rent for a home in Canada in April was up 9.3 per cent compared with a year ago, while a slight month-over-month increase was also recorded for the first time since January.
What is basic income, and how would it impact me?
Parliamentarians are considering a pair of bills aiming to lift people out of poverty through a basic income program, but some fear these types of systems could result in more taxes for Canadians who are already financially struggling.
'I may have some nightmares:' Man survives being bitten by 2 sharks in Bahamas
A man who was bitten by two sharks in the Bahamas said Thursday he's 'thankful that I'm here' while sharing his story of survival.
Magnitude 4.2 earthquake reported off Vancouver Island's west coast
A 4.2-magnitude earthquake was recorded west of Vancouver Island early Friday morning.
Mexico's president accuses press and volunteer searchers for missing people of 'necrophilia'
The administration of Mexico's president has accused the press and volunteer searchers who look for the bodies of missing people of 'necrophilia,' comments that drew criticism this week.
Rare severe solar storm Friday could bring spectacular aurora light show across Canada
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Out-of-control wildfire burning near Fort McMurray
As of 9 a.m. on Friday, the wildfire burning 28 kilometres southwest of the northeastern Alberta city was 25 hectares in size.
WATCH Expecting an interest rate cut in June? Don't bet on it after new jobs data
Canada's labour market rebounded in April, adding more than 90,000 jobs, a staggering number of new positions after four consecutive months of little change.
Prince William says wife Kate is 'doing well'
Prince William said on Friday his wife Kate was 'doing well' in a rare public comment about the Princess of Wales as she undergoes preventative chemotherapy for cancer.