An eight-year-old boy in England is dead. His name was Rhys Cameron. He had autism and a huge smile. His family said he was "cheery, funny, and beautiful."
He loved music. He loved playing with his friends.
On the weekend of September 13, 2025, his mother killed him.
š What Happened
Louise Cameron, 41, mixed a powerful prescription drug called methadone into blackcurrant juice. She put it in a pink Hello Kitty bottle and gave it to her son.
Rhys pushed the bottle away. He told her it tasted bad.
She kept giving it to him anyway. She did it five or six times until he had taken a deadly amount.
Rhys died that night.
On Monday, September 15, relatives came to the house. They found Louise in bed next to her son. She was in a daze, stroking his face. Rhys had been dead for hours.
š What She Told Police
When an officer arrived, Louise said: "I was only trying to commit suicide for me and Rhys."
At the hospital she told staff: "I've just murdered Rhys."
She said she chose this method because she "didn't want to have to stab him or drown him or hurt him."
She left a note at the scene admitting what she had done.
āļø The Trial
Doctors found Louise unfit to stand trial in the traditional way. In the UK, that means a jury still hears the facts of the case but does not return a guilty or not guilty verdict. They only decide if she committed the acts.
The jury found that she did.
The case is before Teesside Crown Court in England. A sentencing date has not yet been announced.
š Who Rhys Was
His family called him "a lovely little son, brother, nephew, grandson, and friend to many."
He had autism and learning difficulties. He carried a huge smile wherever he went.
He trusted the one person who was supposed to protect him.
