Mother and child not seen for week and a half before bodies discovered in central Hamilton apartment

The last time a 30-year-old woman and her three-year-old son were seen alive was March 14 - a week and a half before the tragic discovery of their bodies in their central Hamilton apartment this week.

It's not clear what happened to them, but Hamilton police say the preliminary autopsy results show no signs of anything suspicious. There were no reports that anything was wrong in the apartment at 15 Ray St. N. before police were called there for a wellness check Wednesday.

I understand it's disturbing to the public," said Det. Sgt. Peter Thom of the major crime unit, but he also asked people to understand it's a tragic and private matter for the family.

Detectives have an idea as to what happened, but Thom said he wouldn't comment on details both because it's not a criminal matter and because he doesn't want to speculate before seeing the full autopsy report. Some tests, such as toxicology, can takes months.

What is clear is that there were no environmental causes, such as carbon monoxide, he said. There was never concern for the safety of anyone else in the area.

That leaves investigators with two possible scenarios depending on whether the child died first, or whether the mother died suddenly and the child was left unable to care for himself.

The major crime unit usually investigates homicides. But in this case the detectives were called to investigate for two reasons: two deaths in the same residence is unusual and police are mandated to investigate any sudden death of a child under five.

A lot of the woman's contact with friends and family recently had been over social media, Thom said, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic was a factor.

A friend eventually called police to ask for a wellness check. Officers made the discovery at the Good Shepherd's Nora Vos Apartments around 4:30 p.m. March 24. Police believe they died shortly after they were last seen March 14.

People are now left wishing they'd done something sooner, Thom said. But the truth is, it's just the times we're in at the moment," that are making people more isolated.

It's a very sad situation," he said.

Police said the building is well-managed and detectives have found Good Shepherd helpful.

The woman and her son lived in one of the 72 units at the Good Shepherd building on Ray, on the north side of King Street West. It's an affordable housing building that includes a mix of families and singles and includes some rent-geared-to income units.

This has been horrendous," said Lenore Lukasik-Foss, chief operating officer of Good Shepherd Non-Profit Homes. Our hearts are going out to our tenants' family and loved ones and friends."

It's also been very difficult on other tenants and staff.

Unlike other Good Shepherd properties that have on-site programing and care, the tenants at 15 Ray St. N. have full autonomy. Some may be connected to programs at Good Shepherd or other community agencies, some may not - it is their choice.

Since the tragic discovery, they have had mental-health crisis workers on site. They have also spoken with staff about their needs, including considering a full debrief.

The agency has also been in touch with the tenants' family to offer support, said Lukasik-Foss, adding that privacy is very important to respect the family's wishes.

There are no words to convey how tragic this is," she said.

Nicole O'Reilly is a Hamilton-based reporter covering crime and justice for The Spectator. Reach her via email: noreilly@thespec.com