An Edmonton man, George Russell Hulleman, 31, has been convicted of manslaughter following the tragic death of his five-week-old son, Leviathan Puchalski. Initially facing a second-degree murder charge, Hulleman was found guilty of manslaughter by the Edmonton Court of King’s Bench.
During the trial, Judge Shannon Davis highlighted that while medical experts confirmed Leviathan suffered severe injuries, the exact cause could not be pinpointed. On the night of February 5, 2023, Leviathan’s mother retired to bed around 10 p.m., leaving Hulleman and the baby alone in their Edmonton residence. She later awoke to find Hulleman on a distressing 911 call, holding an unresponsive Leviathan.
Emergency responders arrived to find Hulleman performing chest compressions on the infant, who was subsequently rushed to Stollery Children’s Hospital. Tragically, Leviathan succumbed to his injuries on February 9, 2023, after being diagnosed with critical brain swelling, spinal cord damage, and limb fractures.
The pivotal question in the case revolved around Hulleman’s intent. Despite evidence suggesting cognitive limitations that could impact his foreseeability of consequences, Judge Davis ruled that such factors did not absolve him of objective intent. The prosecution argued that Hulleman’s actions post-incident indicated a sinister intent, with medical evidence contradicting his claims of a fall being the cause of Leviathan’s injuries.
Experts testified that the catastrophic injuries sustained by Leviathan could have resulted from violent actions such as shaking, throwing, or slamming. While the precise details of the incident remained unclear, Judge Davis concluded that Hulleman’s attempts to minimize the severity of the force used indicated malicious intent.
While the Crown successfully demonstrated Hulleman’s intent to cause serious harm, the element of foreseeing Leviathan’s death was not fully established. As a result, Hulleman was convicted of manslaughter. Pending sentencing, a report on Hulleman’s Indigenous background will be prepared as part of the sentencing process.