Youth Found Deceased After False Accusations of Taking Cremated Remains
A 14-year-old youth was found dead just days following being wrongly blamed of stealing the ashes of a dead infant during a burglary, a coroner's inquiry has learned.
Heartbreaking Discovery
Kai Lloyd's mother and father found his body in his bedroom at his Flintshire residence on November 19th, 2021.
Untrue Allegations Start
The inquest learned how his parent received a communication on November 8th, 2021 via social media, from a individual inquiring if her son was her offspring. The communication stated: "Inform him thanks for burgling my apartment."
In a testimony presented to the proceedings, the mother said the individual had been in the media, asserting her infant's ashes had been stolen in a break-in - a claim which was untrue.
Police Inquiry
An official inquiry from authorities later concluded the supposed burglary victim had "provided false information" and "evidence shows that said property was never taken in the beginning".
News coverage about the alleged stolen remains attracted online responses, and although the teenager was not identified in the messages, his mother said individuals "understood it was him".
The "social media content were extremely distressing", she stated.
Emotional Health Effect
She explained that her son had been diagnosed with moderate ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other individuals' opinions genuinely mattered to him.
"It would have affected him severely," she said, "especially when this was untrue".
Kai was detained at home, but nothing was discovered. He was transported to a police station and later released under investigation.
Police said they would be in touch, the hearing learned, but had not reached out to the relatives by the moment of his death.
Isolation and Worry
His mother said Kai "withdrew into himself" after the detention and "would keep asking me whether I had received anything from the police", because his ADHD meant sometimes "a minute could feel like much longer".
When she talked to him about the alleged burglary, she said her son told her he had entered the house because the woman who lived there had said he could use the toilet anytime he wanted, but refuted removing anything.
Online Bullying
In a joint statement between her and her spouse, Mrs Lloyd said her child was being harassed online after the accusations.
The inquest learned that one young adult urged Kai to end his life.
She had no concerns on the evening before he died, describing how she had listened to him "chuckling and joking".
She described him as a "compassionate, loving" boy, and said her "family is completely shattered".
He had been "clearly hiding his worries", she said, adding that he could not stand to have anyone "think bad of him".
School Reaction
The inquest received testimony from school personnel at the local High School.
On 8 November, she "overheard some boys talking that the student had been arrested and that was the initial I heard".
"He told me... he'd was innocent," she added.
After the discussion, the staff member said she called Kai's parents' telephone and left a voicemail saying she had spoken to Kai about the allegations.
The court heard his parents said they did not receive that communication.
Formal Conclusion
Senior coroner informed the inquest he would wait for reports regarding what enhancements had been made to dealing with individuals with ADHD, before deciding whether he should make a prevention of future fatalities report.
Delivering a narrative finding, he said: "Around 8 November 2021, unsubstantiated allegations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a young individual.
"Likely falsehoods were afterwards exaggerated and amplified through the platform of social media.
"On November 11th, he was interviewed by the authorities and following his questioning he was released whilst investigations continued."
The official determined: "Exists no evidence that the acts or failures of any agency led to or added to his death and although it was the outcome of a personal action it is impossible to discern his intent."