Adolescent Discovered Deceased After Untrue Allegations of Taking Cremated Remains

Family Photo
The teenager's mother and father found his body in his bedroom in late 2021

A teenage youth was discovered deceased only a few days following being wrongly accused of stealing the cremated remains of a dead baby during a break-in, an inquest has heard.

Tragic Discovery

Kai Lloyd's parents found his body in his room at his Connah's Quay home on November 19th, 2021.

Untrue Allegations Begin

The inquest learned how his mother got a communication on November 8th, 2021 via online platforms, from a woman inquiring if Kai was her offspring. The communication added: "Inform him appreciation for burgling my apartment."

In a statement presented to the court, Lisa Lloyd said the woman had been in the news, asserting her infant's remains had been taken in a burglary - a claim which was untrue.

Law Enforcement Inquiry

An official inquiry from authorities later concluded the supposed break-in victim had "lied to police" and "it now appears that said items was never stolen in the beginning".

News coverage about the alleged taken ashes attracted online comments, and although Kai was not identified in the posts, his mother said individuals "understood it was him".

The "online posts were extremely upsetting", she stated.

Emotional Wellbeing Effect

She added that her son had been diagnosed with mild ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other peoples' views genuinely were important to him.

"It would have hurt him deeply," she commented, "particularly when this was untrue".

Kai was detained at his residence, but nothing was discovered. He was taken to a police station and later released pending further inquiry.

Police said they would be in touch, the hearing heard, but had not contacted the relatives by the time of his death.

Isolation and Worry

His parent said Kai "withdrew into himself" after the detention and "would keep asking me whether I had received anything from the authorities", because his condition meant sometimes "certain periods could seem like much longer".

When she talked to him about the alleged burglary, she said her child told her he had entered the house because the resident who lived there had said he could use the toilet anytime he wanted, but denied taking anything.

Online Harassment

In a joint statement between her and her husband, the mother said her son was being bullied online after the accusations.

The inquest learned that one young adult urged Kai to kill himself.

She had no concerns on the night before he died, explaining how she had listened to him "laughing and joking".

She portrayed him as a "compassionate, loving" young man, and said her "family is totally devastated".

He had been "clearly concealing his worries", she stated, noting that he could not bear to have anyone "have negative thoughts of him".

School Reaction

The hearing received testimony from school staff at Connah's Quay High School.

On November 8th, she "overheard some students talking that Kai had been arrested and that was the initial I learned".

"He informed me... he'd done nothing wrong," she added.

After the conversation, the educator said she rang Kai's family telephone and left a message saying she had communicated to the student about the allegations.

The proceedings heard his family said they did not receive that message.

Formal Finding

Senior coroner told the inquest he would wait for documents regarding what improvements had been made to handling individuals with the condition, before determining whether he should make a avoidance of future deaths report.

Delivering a descriptive finding, he stated: "Approximately 8 November 2021, unsupported allegations were made against Kai Benjamin Lloyd, a young individual.

"Likely untruths were afterwards embellished and amplified through the medium of social media.

"On November 11th, he was questioned by the police and following his interview he was freed while investigations proceeded."

The coroner determined: "Exists no proof that the acts or omissions of any organization led to or added to his passing and although it was the result of a self-inflicted action it is impossible to discern his intent."

Amy Carr
Amy Carr

A passionate urban explorer and writer, sharing experiences and tips on city living and cultural discoveries.