TORONTO -- A long-awaited inquest will begin this spring into the starvation death of a five-year-old Toronto boy in his grandparents' home a decade ago.
Jeffrey Baldwin weighed only nine kilograms and was covered in sores when he died on Nov. 20, 2002 of complications from chronic starvation.
Deputy chief coroner Dr. Dan Cass says the inquest into Baldwin's death -- first announced nearly two years ago -- is set to start April 8 and is expected to hear from 35 witnesses over the course of three months.
The Supreme Court of Canada denied last January to hear an appeal from Elva Bottineau over her murder conviction in the death of Jeffrey, her grandson.
Bottineau and her common-law partner, Norman Kidman, who also lost an appeal bid, were sentenced to life in prison with no parole for 22 and 20 years respectively following their 2006 second-degree murder convictions.
Cass's office says Dr. Peter Clark will preside as coroner over the jury inquest and investigate circumstances surrounding the boy's death.
A preliminary hearing to vet applications for standing at the inquest is scheduled to begin Feb. 19 in Toronto.
