Accused Individuals Facing Charges in 2024 Northern Ontario Infant Mortality Case
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are currently investigating a second-degree murder case involving the death of an infant in Burpee Township, Manitoulin Island, which occurred in October 2024.
On October 1, 2024, police and Sudbury-Manitoulin Paramedic Services responded to a call about an unresponsive infant at a residence in Burpee Township. Tragically, the infant was later pronounced dead in hospital.
Following a comprehensive investigation that spanned several months, on July 31, 2025, two individuals from Burpee Township—Sean LeBlanc, a 40-year-old man, and Sarah Turner, a 26-year-old woman—were arrested and charged with second-degree murder in connection to the infant's death. Both suspects remain in custody and are scheduled to appear in court later in August 2025 in Greater Sudbury.
The investigation is being conducted in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Coroner and the Ontario Forensic Pathology Service. However, no further details about the circumstances surrounding the infant's death have been released.
The Manitoulin OPP Crime Unit is continuing to investigate the case, and authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward. If you have any information that could aid in the investigation, please contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or Crime Stoppers anonymously.
The investigation into the infant's death is ongoing, and updates will be provided as more information becomes available. Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time.
[1] Ontario Provincial Police News Release, July 31, 2025. [2] CBC News, July 31, 2025. [3] Sudbury Star, July 31, 2025. [4] Manitoulin Expositor, October 1, 2024.
- The general-news outlets report that on July 31, 2025, two individuals, Sean LeBlanc and Sarah Turner, were charged with second-degree murder in connection to the death of an infant in Burpee Township, Manitoulin Island, as confirmed by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) News Release.
- Following the tragic death of an infant in Burpee Township in October 2024, crime-and-justice updates indicate that the investigation, involving the OPP and Sudbury-Manitoulin Paramedic Services, has led to the arrest of two suspects and is now focusing on gathering more information from the public to help solve the case.
