#Canada #ON – An 83-year-old Christian woman was murdered at an Ontario long-term care home on July 10, 2026, after her family said she had previously refused euthanasia and did not give a clear final verbal confirmation that morning or consent.
Brigitte Stegemann, known to relatives as GG or Oma, died at The Pearl care home in Cannifton, near Belleville. She had lived there for about two years and had been diagnosed with inoperable stage IV stomach cancer roughly five months earlier. Her granddaughter, Brigitte Kranendonk, who held power of attorney for personal care and had looked after her for 12 years, later described the death as occurring against her grandmother’s will.
Stegemann, who was German-born and devoutly Christian, had earlier told family members that assisted dying conflicted with her faith and that she wanted to die naturally. Kranendonk said staff raised euthanasia while she was away on a 10-day trip in June. Upon her return, she learned an assessment had already taken place. She said her grandmother failed basic cognitive questions during later evaluations, including believing her living siblings were dead.
Two days before the scheduled procedure, Kranendonk sat with her grandmother and asked whether she understood she would die that Friday. Stegemann cried for about 45 minutes and repeatedly said she had made a mistake, according to the granddaughter’s account to the Daily Mail.
On the morning of July 10, the family took Stegemann outside for strawberry ice cream, her favorite, and a pastor prayed with her. A nurse then began preparing an intravenous line before the doctor arrived. Kranendonk said the nurse struggled to find a vein, punctured both arms after several attempts, and left a large amount of blood on Stegemann’s arm, nightgown, pillow and sheets. She also alleged the nurse was not wearing gloves.
When the physician entered the room and said she was there to give “medicine,” asking if that was all right, Stegemann did not open her eyes, nod or speak. Her hands remained clasped in what relatives described as a prayer position. The doctor proceeded. Stegemann was pronounced dead within about 10 minutes. Kranendonk later said she did not know whether her grandmother was already unresponsive, in prayer, or dying when the drugs were given.
The family said they had been assured there would be a final explicit verbal confirmation on the day of the procedure. They filed complaints with Ontario’s Chief Coroner requesting a MAID Death Review Team investigation, the Patient Ombudsman, and the Ministry of Long-Term Care. Belleville Police confirmed the matter was open and under investigation by its Criminal Investigations Division but provided no further details.
The care home and the physician involved, identified in family complaints as Dr. Catherine Louise Koester, did not issue detailed public responses. Representatives for the home maintained that Stegemann had legally consented. The family’s account remained unverified by independent records at the time of reporting, and the family said they had been unable to obtain the medical file.
Canada’s assisted suicide law (colloquially known as “MAID” to desensitize stigma around euthanasia) requires patients to have decision-making capacity and to be able to withdraw consent until the procedure begins. The case adds to ongoing debate over how the program takes advantage of vulnerable persons and is being forced on those without decision-making capacity.
Cover Image: Brigitte Stegemann seen with her daughter, Brigitte Kranendonk.
