UPDATE – September 24: Brisbane Waters police confirm to Global News that the body found was that of Allyson McConnell. The autopsy results have not been released.
EDMONTON – Australian media outlets are reporting that a body found under a bridge in the country’s Central Coast is believed to be that of convicted child killer Allyson McConnell.
The Millet, Alberta, mother was deported to her native Australia this past April after serving 10 months of what was originally a six-year sentence for the 2010 drowning deaths of her sons, 10-month-old Jayden and 2-1/2-year-old Connor.
She was living with her mother in Gosford, a city about 70 kilometres north of Sydney.
According to Rob Ovadia from Seven News Australia, the body in question was found washed up on some rocks by a person walking past a bridge in the Gosford area around 11 a.m. local time.
“Police fairly quickly identified – at least informally – that this was the body of Allyson McConnell,” he told Global News.
He added that the body has since been taken away in an ambulance, and will undergo an autopsy, the results of which are expected in the next couple days.
That’s when Ovadia believes police will be able to formally announce the woman’s identity.
“At this stage,” Ovadia said, though, “all indications point to the fact that Allyson McConnell has taken her own life.”
Read: Allyson McConnell’s lawyer and former neighbour speak out about her reported death
Her six-year sentence in Alberta was reduced to 15 months for time served, and she was released after serving two-thirds of it – 10 months – all of which was spent at a psychiatric hospital.
Her boys were found by their father, Curtis McConnell, with whom she was involved in an acrimonious divorce and custody fight.
The same day the father found his boys, McConnell drove to Edmonton and seriously injured herself jumping off a freeway overpass.
A representative of Curtis McConnell’s family tells Global News, “Our thoughts are with Allyson’s family and we send our condolences.”
Allyson McConnell’s trial was told she had a history of depression and suicide attempts. McConnell testified she would try to kill herself again because she didn’t want to get well.
Weeks after her return to Australia, McConnell said she had been a loving mother and that she wouldn’t rule out having more children.
McConnell’s conviction and sentence remains under appeal.
Alberta Justice Minister Jonathan Denis said if the Crown was successful in persuading the courts to increase McConnell’s sentence, the province would try to extradite her from Australia to serve more time.
On Wednesday, he issued the following statement to Global News:
“If this is indeed Ms. McConnell, then it marks a disturbing end to what has been a very tragic situation and is certainly not the outcome anyone wished for.”
“Mental illness makes victims of all,” Alberta Deputy Premier Thomas Lukaszuk tweeted late Tuesday. “Sad end to what already was a tragedy.”
With files from The Canadian Press
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