Episode 388: On the morning of August 5, 2013, Campbellton, New Brunswick, faced an unthinkable tragedy. Police and first responders were called to an apartment above Reptile Ocean, the town’s reptile and fish shop, where they found Connor and Noah Barthe, brothers aged six and four, dead after a sleepover with their friend Jayce Savoie. Sometime in the night, a 12-foot, 53-pound African rock python owned by shopkeeper Jean-Claude Savoie escaped its enclosure, slithered through a vent, and fatally attacked the sleeping boys. The official cause of death was “traumatic asphyxia by constriction,” a finding that shocked the small community and quickly attracted national and international attention. As investigators began their work, residents struggled to comprehend how a night of friendship ended in such horror. Savoie was charged with criminal negligence causing death, setting the stage for a legal and ethical debate that would raise tough questions and stir deep emotions far beyond Campbellton.

Episode Sources:
Connor & Noah Barthe Obituary - Campbellton, NB
2016 NBQB 205 (CanLII) | R. v. Savoie | CanLII
2016 NBQB 135 (CanLII) | R. v. Jean-Claude Savoie | CanLII
Snake kills two boys during sleepover, Canadian police say
Boys in python case lived life 'to a maximum' | CBC News
Mother of boys killed by python: 'I thought they would be safe'
Mother of N.B. boys killed by python: ‘I thought they would be safe’
Reptile Ocean | Facts, Fiction, & the Media
Why Are People Afraid of Snakes? | Phobia, Evolution, & Facts | Britannica
Python deaths: 'This could have been prevented by a simple action' | CBC News
Python made ‘growling noises’ after killing young brothers, trial of pet store owner hears
Juror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.ca
‘Smell of food would really excite’ python, reptile expert tells N.B. trial | Globalnews.ca
Juror dismissed in python deaths trial as Crown prepares to call final witness | Globalnews.ca
Jean-Claude Savoie | News, Videos & Articles
CBC Player | Dramatic 911 calls over python
Enfants tués par un python: Jean-Claude Savoie non coupable
2013 New Brunswick python attack
Tragic photos emerge of brothers cleaning snake pen months before python killed them in their sleep

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