TORONTO — A coroner's inquest into the death of seven-year-old Katelynn Sampson is listening to the 911 call that led paramedics to find her frail and beaten body in a Toronto apartment in 2008.
Katelynn's guardian, Donna Irving, is heard sobbing as she tells first responders she believes the girl is already dead.
Irving and Katelynn's other guardian, Warren Johnson, were convicted of second-degree murder in the girl's death and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.
The pair beat Katelynn for months until her body went into septic shock.
Her mother, Bernice Sampson, was addicted to crack and gave her daughter to Johnson and Irving in a misguided attempt to save Katelynn.
It was later revealed that a judge granted custody to Irving despite her criminal convictions for prostitution, drugs and violence.
Irving and Johnson also called Children's Aid Society saying they no longer wanted the child, but their call was transferred to Native Child and Family Services because Katelynn was half-Anishinabe.
It took a case worker 16 days to contact Irving, but by then she said she was getting help from Katelynn's school, which wasn't true.
The inquest is expected to take four weeks and will hear from about 30 witnesses, including police officers and Katelynn's teachers.
