Youth Discovered Deceased Following False Allegations of Stealing Cremated Remains

Family Photo
Kai Lloyd's parents found his body in his bedroom in late 2021

One teenage boy was discovered deceased only a few days following being falsely blamed of stealing the ashes of a dead baby during a burglary, an inquest has heard.

Tragic Discovery

Kai Lloyd's parents discovered his body in his bedroom at his Flintshire home on November 19th, 2021.

Untrue Allegations Start

The inquest learned how his mother got a communication on 8 November 2021 via social media, from a woman asking if her son was her child. The message added: "Tell him appreciation for burgling my flat."

In a statement presented to the proceedings, the mother said the woman had been in the media, asserting her infant's ashes had been stolen in a break-in - a allegation which was untrue.

Police Inquiry

An investigation report from police later concluded the alleged break-in complainant had "lied to police" and "it now appears that the property was never stolen in the beginning".

Media reports about the alleged taken remains generated online comments, and although Kai was not identified in the posts, his parent said people "understood it was him".

The "social media content were really upsetting", she said.

Mental Health Impact

She explained that her son had been diagnosed with moderate ADHD, and as part of that disorder, other peoples' opinions really mattered to him.

"This must have hurt him deeply," she said, "especially when this was not true".

The teenager was arrested at his residence, but nothing was found. He was taken to a law enforcement facility and later freed under investigation.

Authorities said they would be in contact, the inquest learned, but had not contacted the relatives by the time of his death.

Isolation and Anxiety

His parent said Kai "became isolated" after the arrest and "repeatedly inquired me whether I had received anything from the authorities", because his condition meant sometimes "a minute could feel like much longer".

When she spoke to him about the supposed incident, she said her child informed her he had entered the residence because the resident who lived there had said he could use the toilet anytime he needed, but denied taking anything.

Digital Harassment

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

The inquest heard that one young adult urged the teenager to kill himself.

She had no worries on the night before he died, describing how she had heard him "chuckling and joking".

She portrayed him as a "compassionate, affectionate" boy, and said her "family is completely shattered".

He had been "obviously concealing his worries", she stated, adding that he could not bear to have anyone "think bad of him".

School Response

The hearing received testimony from educational staff at the local secondary school.

On 8 November, she "heard some boys discussing that Kai had been arrested and that was the first I heard".

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

After the discussion, the staff member said she called the family's family landline and provided a message saying she had spoken to the student about the allegations.

The proceedings heard his family said they never got that communication.

Formal Finding

Lead coroner informed the hearing he would await documents regarding what enhancements had been made to dealing with individuals with ADHD, before determining whether he should make a avoidance of future fatalities report.

Delivering a descriptive finding, he said: "Approximately 8 November 2021, unsupported accusations were made against the teenager, a young individual.

"Likely falsehoods were afterwards exaggerated and exaggerated through the platform of social media.

"During 11 November, he was questioned by the authorities and following his questioning he was freed whilst inquiries proceeded."

The official determined: "Exists no evidence that the acts or omissions of any agency led to or contributed to his passing and although it was the outcome of a personal act it is not possible to discern his intent."

Tiffany Wilkins
Tiffany Wilkins

Tech enthusiast and lifestyle blogger with a passion for innovation and storytelling.