Autopsies confirm New Brunswick boys died by asphyxiation; python euthanized

Two young boys who were killed after a four-metre python got loose in a second-floor apartment where they were sleeping died of asphyxiation, autopsies have confirmed.

Connor and Noah Barthe, aged 6 and 4, were staying at the apartment of a family friend Sunday night when the snake got loose and the children were found dead.

The African rock python had been kept in an enclosure in the apartment and is believed to have escaped into the ventilation system before falling through the ceiling into the living room, where the boys were sleeping.

The snake was captured the following morning by the apartment’s resident, who also owned a pet store on the building's ground level.

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The animal was euthanized and RCMP said a necropsy was conducted. Autopsies on the two children were also held, confirming the cause of death.

"While we now have some preliminary information, investigators still have to wait for other test results to come back and for the final report," RCMP Sgt. Alain Tremblay said in a statement.

"We recognize that this has touched the hearts of people across the world and that people want to know how this could have happened. Our investigators are looking at all aspects of this tragic incident, and that will take some time."

The remains of the African rock python, a breed which is prohibited as a pet in the province, will be destroyed.

The news comes just hours before the small town of Campbellton is expected to hold a vigil for Connor and Noah.