A Michigan mother and her ex-boyfriend have been charged with first-degree murder in the 2018 death of her 3-year-old son, with prosecutors alleging they killed the boy to “make room” for a new baby. Amanda Maison, 28, and Maurice Houle, 31, were arrested on Friday following what authorities called “significant recent developments” in the case.
Matthew Maison was found dead in his bed on February 18, 2018, in the family’s Port Huron Township home. First responders arrived the next day after a report of an unresponsive child, but discovered Matthew had already passed away, WPHM reported.
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During Monday’s arraignment, prosecutors revealed horrific details of abuse leading up to the toddler’s death. Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Josh Sparling stated that Matthew endured “years of abuse at the hands of both defendants,” including being forced into painful “timeout” positions where his head was banged against drywall and being locked in his room for hours without food or water.
Sparling also alleged that Houle once placed a pillow over Matthew’s face, pretending it was a game, while the autopsy revealed the child died from blunt force trauma and suffocation. “We came to realize a scheme where both defendants conjured up this lie of previous injuries to the victim,” Sparling said in court.
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The most chilling accusation, however, was the alleged motive. Prosecutors claim the couple plotted to kill Matthew to “make room for a child the two of them could have together.”
St. Clair County Medical Examiner Dr. Daniel Spitz concluded in the autopsy report that Matthew’s death was caused by “blunt traumatic injuries with features of asphyxiation,” adding that the injuries were “indicative of inflicted trauma.”
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Both defendants are being held at the St. Clair County Detention and Intervention Center. Houle faces additional charges for allegedly resisting arrest. The case has drawn widespread outrage as more disturbing details emerge about Matthew’s tragic final days.
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