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Michigan Mom Pleads Guilty After Killing 3-Year-Old Son to Allegedly ‘Make Room’ for New Baby
A mom in Michigan has pleaded guilty after she and her former boyfriend were accused of killing her child in 2018 in order to “make room” if they welcomed a new baby.
The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 3-year-old Matthew Maison was killed in his home in Port Huron Township, Michigan, on February 18, 2018. The office also announced in April that his mother, Amanda Maison, and her former boyfriend Maurice Houle were arrested for the young boy’s killing.
The sheriff’s office later announced in a statement that Amanda, 33, pleaded guilty to a charge of second-degree homicide on Wednesday, November 5.
An investigation into his death was launched when the child’s babysitters found him dead in his bed, the Times Herald and the Sanilac Broadcasting Company reported.
ClickOnDetroit reported that prosecutors previously alleged that Amanda and Houle killed Matthew in an attempt to “make room for a child that the two of them could have together,” according to court statements by St. Clair County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Sparling.
Prosecutors also added that the former couple allegedly admitted to abusing Matthew when they were arrested.
While appearing in court to enter her plea, Amanda admitted she abused her son and said that on one occasion she pushed his “head into a wall in their home” during a “military time-out,” according to the sheriff’s office’s statement.
Additionally, Amanda told the judge she enabled Houle’s alleged abuse of Matthew and “willingly participated” in hiding it from Child Protective Services and law enforcement.
She went on to admit to “actively contriving a plan to conceal the manner of Matthew’s death from law enforcement,” per the sheriff’s office statement.
Amanda and Houle, who broke up the day that Matthew was killed, were both charged with first-degree murder in April.
They both initially pleaded not guilty before Amanda pleaded guilty to second-degree homicide earlier in November. Amanda also agreed to testify in Houle’s trial as part of her plea, which is scheduled to take place in early 2026.
Following her plea, Amanda was remanded into the custody of the St. Clair County Jail and will remain there until her sentencing, according to the sheriff’s office. The second degree homicide charge could carry up to a sentence of life in prison.
“Thank you to the many law enforcement officers, family members, and others for bringing us to this day. Matthew is finally beginning to get the justice he deserves. The dedication to this case is unmatched,” Sheriff Mat King said following Amanda’s plea. “Although this is not the end, I am confident justice will be served.”
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