Edmonton inquiry reviews murder-suicide of father and autistic son

EDMONTON – An Edmonton fatality inquiry is reviewing the murder-suicide of a father and his severely autistic child.

Jeffrey Bostick and his 11-year-old son, Jeremy, died of carbon monoxide poisoning on Sept. 27, 2009.

Their bodies were found with a cylinder of the deadly gas inside a barricaded basement bedroom, its door sealed with towels and duct tape.

Police say the boy had behaviour problems and lived in a group home but stayed with his father on weekends.

The boy’s biological mother, Jackie McKean of Brampton, Ont., wiped away tears as she listened to evidence about her son’s death.

She says she is attending the week-long inquiry to find out what her former husband was facing and whether he received enough help to care for their boy.