ManitobaThe father of a woman charged after her three-month-old daughter died with methamphetamine in her bloodstream acknowledged in court Wednesday that his granddaughter wasn’t protected from harm before her death.After being shown photos in court, grandfather agrees Winnipeg home wasn’t safe for 3-month-old before death Ozten Shebahkeget · CBC News · Posted: Nov 12, 2025 3:42 PM EST | Last Updated: 11 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 3 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.Three baby bottles seized from the Winnipeg home where three-month-old Layla Mattern-Muise died in 2022 tested positive for methamphetamine, according to a toxicology report submitted to a Manitoba court. (Manitoba Courts)The father of a woman charged after her three-month-old daughter died with methamphetamine in her bloodstream acknowledged in court Wednesday that his granddaughter wasn’t protected from harm before her death.Alison Muise, 42, is charged with failing to provide the necessaries of life after her unresponsive baby, Layla Mattern-Muise, was rushed to hospital and died in February 2022. Muise’s judge-alone trial before Manitoba provincial court Judge Michelle Bright began in September and continued Wednesday.A Winnipeg police officer testified in September that Muise’s home wasn’t safe for children, telling court garbage and drug paraphernalia were scattered around the home, and a window was left open on a frigid February day. Another witness painted a picture of chaos, violence and frequent drug use in the home leading up to the infant’s death.On Wednesday, Muise’s father, Lou Muise, testified that he visited his daughter’s home regularly during her pregnancy and after Layla was born.The 74-year-old viewed photos from the scene that were submitted to court. He testified that it was unusual for him to see his daughter’s home in the messy condition shown in the photos, describing the pictures as “night and day” when compared to his visits.Lou also testified that he’d never seen his daughter intoxicated by drugs or alcohol during or after her pregnancy with Layla, and that he didn’t believe his daughter was using meth.Court previously heard that Alison Muise tested positive for meth twice following the baby’s death. While toxicology reports found meth in the baby’s bloodstream, an autopsy listed her cause of death as undetermined, court heard.A toxicology report submitted to the court also found three baby bottles seized from the home after the baby died tested positive for methamphetamine.During cross-examination, Lou said he was unaware that his granddaughter and her baby bottles had tested positive for meth, adding he initially believed her death was related to COVID-19.Crown prosecutor Alanna Littman showed Lou a photo taken inside the home that she said showed drug pipes in a drawer.’She wasn’t safe in that house’Before viewing the photo, Lou said he assumed his daughter smoked cigarettes through an open window in that room. Afterwards, he agreed with Littman that his granddaughter wasn’t safe before her death.”Would you agree with me that the constellation of events that we’ve looked at, in terms of these photographs, that Layla wasn’t protected from harm’s way?” Littman asked Lou.”Yeah,” he said.”You’re agreeing with me?” Littman asked.”Well, through the pictures, I have to, yes,” Lou replied.”She wasn’t safe in that house on the date that she died and leading up to it?” Littman asked.”Doesn’t look like it,” Lou said.The baby’s father, Christopher Mattern, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge Muise faces and was sentenced in August to 21 months time served, plus two years of probation.Muise’s trial is scheduled to continue in December.ABOUT THE AUTHORÖzten Shebahkeget is a member of Northwest Angle 33 First Nation who grew up in Winnipeg’s North End. She has been writing for CBC Manitoba since 2022. She holds an undergraduate degree in English literature and a master’s in writing.Email: ozten.shebahkeget@cbc.ca
Baby who died with meth in bloodstream wasn’t safe at home, grandfather acknowledges in court
