Adolescent Discovered Deceased After False Allegations of Stealing Cremated Remains
A teenage youth was found dead only a few days following being falsely blamed of stealing the ashes of a dead baby during a break-in, a coroner's inquiry has heard.
Heartbreaking Discovery
Kai Lloyd's parents discovered his remains in his room at his Flintshire residence on 19 November 2021.
False Accusations Start
The inquest learned how his parent received a message on November 8th, 2021 via online platforms, from a woman asking if Kai was her offspring. The message added: "Tell him appreciation for burgling my apartment."
In a statement presented to the proceedings, the mother said the woman had been in the news, asserting her infant's remains had been taken in a break-in - a claim which was untrue.
Law Enforcement Inquiry
An investigation report from police later concluded the supposed break-in victim had "lied to police" and "it now appears that the items was never taken in the first place".
Media reports about the alleged stolen remains attracted online comments, and although the teenager was not identified in the messages, his mother said individuals "understood it was him".
The "social media content were really distressing", she said.
Emotional Health Effect
She explained that her son had been identified with mild ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other peoples' opinions genuinely mattered to him.
"It would have affected him severely," she commented, "particularly when this was not true".
Kai was arrested at home, but nothing was found. He was taken to a police station and later released under investigation.
Police said they would be in touch, the hearing heard, but had failed to reached out to the relatives by the moment of his passing.
Withdrawal and Anxiety
His parent said Kai "became isolated" after the arrest and "repeatedly inquired me whether I had received anything from the police", because his ADHD meant sometimes "a minute could seem like days".
When she spoke to him about the alleged burglary, she said her child informed her he had gone into the residence because the resident who lived there had said he could utilize the bathroom whenever he wanted, but denied removing anything.
Online Harassment
In a joint statement between her and her husband, Mrs Lloyd said her child was being harassed online after the allegations.
The proceedings heard that a 19-year-old urged Kai to kill himself.
She had no worries on the evening before he died, describing how she had heard him "chuckling and teasing".
She described him as a "caring, loving" boy, and said her "relatives is totally devastated".
He had been "clearly hiding his concerns", she said, adding that he could not stand to have anybody "think bad of him".
School Response
The inquest heard from educational personnel at Connah's Quay High School.
On 8 November, she "heard some students talking that the student had been detained and that was the first I heard".
"He informed me... he'd was innocent," she continued.
After the conversation, the educator said she rang Kai's family landline and left a voicemail saying she had communicated to Kai about the allegations.
The court heard his family said they did not receive that communication.
Formal Finding
Lead investigator told the hearing he would wait for documents regarding what enhancements had been made to handling individuals with ADHD, before determining whether he should make a prevention of subsequent deaths report.
Delivering a narrative finding, he stated: "Around November 8th, 2021, unsubstantiated allegations were made against the teenager, a young individual.
"Probably untruths were afterwards exaggerated and exaggerated through the platform of online networks.
"On November 11th, he was questioned by the authorities and after his questioning he was freed while investigations continued."
The official determined: "There is no evidence that the acts or omissions of any agency led to or added to his passing and although it was the outcome of a self-inflicted act it is impossible to determine his purpose."