Edmonton – Police in Australia have confirmed the woman found dead last week was Allyson McConnell.
McConnell’s body was found under a bridge in a town about an hour north of Sydney, Australia.
The 34-year-old was convicted of manslaughter for drowning her two sons, 10-month-old Jayden and 2-year-old Connor, while living in Millet, Alberta in 2010.
McConnell was deported to her native Australia in April after serving ten months in a psychiatric hospital. Her initial sentence was six years, but she was given credit for pretrial custody.
The judge in the case had ruled there was little evidence of whether the depressed and suicidal McConnell meant to kill her boys.
The day her boys were found lifeless in a bathtub at their Millet home by their father, McConnell jumped off an overpass in Edmonton, resulting in injuries that caused a hospital stay.
During her trial, court heard McConnell had a history of depression and suicide attempts that began when her father got her pregnant when she was 15. She was under constant suicide watch while in custody in Alberta.
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McConnell’s mother, Helen Meager, had reportedly told McConnell’s lawyer, Peter Royal, the Alberta Crown’s upcoming appeal of McConnell’s manslaughter conviction and sentence – scheduled for October 30 – was causing his client distress.
Meager also apparently told Royal her daughter had become emotional and despondent after attending the christening of a friend’s new baby recently.
“I guess it brought back thoughts of her own children’s christenings.”
Royal calls it a “sad case all around,” with no winners.
The family of her former husband, Curtis McConnell, who tried to fight her deportation, had the following to say last week after hearing the discovery of the body was likely McConnell:
“Our thoughts are with Allyson’s family and we send our condolences.”
Meanwhile, the town of Millet – where the family once lived together – released the following statement last week after hearing the body discovery was likely that of McConnell:
“The town hopes that in the light of the recent news of Allyson McConnell, that the family and the town as a whole can receive some types of closure. Nothing will bring these little boys back, but an end to this chapter may eventually bring some peace to all that were affected.”
With files from Laurel Clark, Global News and The Canadian Press
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