The death of a 12 year old girl in rural New Brunswick remains a mystery five years later. A coroner’s inquest held this week ruled Aaliyah Burrell’s manner of death as undetermined. The proceedings revealed unsettling details about the scene and prompted calls for systemic changes.
According to a report from Global News, Aaliyah was found unconscious in her Florenceville home on March 12, 2021. Medical experts state a sharp force injury to the neck caused her death. However, the legal conclusion remains undetermined.
A Grim Scene in Florenceville
First responders arrived at the home around 5 a.m. after Aaliyah’s mother, Isabella Burrell, called 911. She told dispatchers she thought her daughter was dead and suggested the girl stabbed herself.
Paramedics found a dark and cold house. Doorways were covered in blankets. The children were sleeping in tents on the main floor. Primary care paramedic Sharon McIntosh noted the only light source was a lantern. Paramedics had to use their cellphone flashlights to see while performing CPR.
Coroner Doug Arch arrived later and noted the house looked torn apart. He also observed a severe lack of food in the home, prompting officers to buy food for the other children.
Conflicting Stories and Missing Evidence
The inquest heard two different versions of the morning’s events. Arch testified that Aaliyah’s stepfather, Ramone Anthony Burrell, claimed the incident happened on the main floor. He said Aaliyah stabbed herself, walked upstairs, put the scissors in the sink, and went to her parents’ bedroom.
RCMP officers heard a different story from Isabella. She claimed Aaliyah stood in their bedroom doorway and suddenly stabbed herself in front of them.
In both accounts, police found the scissors in the bathroom sink with no blood on them. Ramone told investigators a dripping tap washed the blood away.
Medical experts and investigators raised red flags about the physical evidence. Dr. Ather Naseemuddin examined the body and found a single wound six centimeters deep that punctured the left lung. He noted the absence of hesitation marks, which are common in self inflicted injuries.
Arch also found the lack of blood at the scene suspicious. He observed a small pool of blood upstairs and felt someone had placed the body there.
Investigation Shortfalls
The inquest highlighted friction between the coroner’s office and the RCMP. Arch testified that law enforcement treated the death as a suicide early on. He strongly disagreed with that assessment.
“There was nothing to say that a 12 year old girl would do that to herself,” Arch said. He added that he felt the parents were not telling the truth.
Witnesses also described the stepfather’s behavior as theatrical and strange. Police later identified Ramone as a person of interest in an unrelated threats investigation, leading to his arrest in Ontario.
Jury Demands Change
The five member jury issued six recommendations to prevent similar tragedies. These include establishing a standard police protocol for the death of a minor and mandating autopsy attendance by both law enforcement and the coroner in suspicious child deaths.
The jury also called for more extended care paramedics in rural areas and regular wellness checks for homeschooled students. Aaliyah’s family had chosen to keep her in virtual learning after pandemic restrictions lifted.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the official cause of Aaliyah Burrell’s death?
Medical experts determined she died from a sharp force injury to the neck. The coroner’s inquest legally ruled the manner of death as undetermined.
Why did the coroner doubt the suicide theory?
Coroner Doug Arch noted a lack of blood on the weapon and at the scene. He also pointed out conflicting stories from the parents and the absence of hesitation marks on the victim.
What changes did the jury recommend?
The jury made six recommendations. Key points include mandatory wellness checks for homeschooled children, better rural paramedic coverage, and stricter protocols for investigating the deaths of minors.
This is very disturbing, too many red flags throughout, and sadly, it appears no justice will will happen as a result of this poor child’s death.
The brief description of the living conditions for all the children , although not submitted as contributing to her death, leaves many questions about the home situation which should have been viewed as a contributing factor , much the same way as any environmental conditions are taken into consideration when conducting an inquest. Wellness checks are an inadequate remedy for a living environment that definitely should be reviewed as a probable contributing factor in the young child’s death, either by suicide, natural causes or a criminal act. What is most disturbing is the reported Police position of the death being that of suicide. Even an obvious suicide is always investigated as suspicious for the purpose of eliminating all possibility of criminal conduct being linked to a death. The inquest is complete , however that does not prevent the police from , reviewing their evidence and issuing a public finding based on evidence that in fact her death was indeed suicide? Further Social development should be ordered to conduct a review of their responsibility towards the care and living conditions that children are experiencing when being home schooled, what changes need to be made to ensure that procedures are in place to conduct home visits to assertion that children are recoining the basic standards of living and care as established in provincial law.