Why A Mother Drugged and Killed Her 9-year-old Daughter

Laura Coward who allegedly drugged and killed her 9 year old daughter, Amber Lucius has been sentenced to life in prison with no chance at parole for 18 years yesterday. She was tried last month, in a courtroom in Canada.

50 year old Laura, had just divorced her husband, and he won full custody of their daughter. The Sun reports that she told her friends she planned on taking her daughter stargazing during a weekend visit, instead she drove her to a rural property about 60 miles northwest of Calgary before giving her sleeping pills that she had stolen from a friend. The mother then set the SUV on fire with the little girl inside. A handwritten note was found outside the burnt car, reading: “Help me. It was an accident. Locked keys in.” Amber was reported missing, and Laura was arrested two days later in August 2014.

Justice Scott Brooker, who sentenced Laura said that the judging of the case must reflect the society’s disgust and outrage.

 “Amber was completely vulnerable to and trusting of her mother. It was the ultimate betrayal and breach of trust for Ms Coward to kill her daughter.”

Laura begged her friends and family, and her late daughters father, Duane Lucius.

Speaking outside the court, Duane tells local media that no sentence will do justice for what has happened to Amber.

“As a father, I have had to bury my child and nothing will bring her back. I can only hope that other children are not being used as bargaining chips in a divorce or used to hurt the other parent.”

Photo Credit: The Sun