A Michigan couple was arrested on Friday, nearly seven years after the woman’s 3-year-old son died under suspicious circumstances.
In February 2018, Matthew Maison was discovered dead in his bed. An autopsy carried out in 2021 revealed that he died from a mix of blunt force trauma and mechanical asphyxiation. During the arraignment hearing on Monday, St. Clair County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Joshua Sparling stated that Amanda Maison, aged 33, and Maurice Houle, aged 28, murdered the boy with the intention of “making room for another child,” as reported by the Port Huron Times Herald.
Amanda Maison is Matthew’s mother, while Houle is her boyfriend. The police interrogated them about a black eye that Matthew had apparently sustained before his death. As noted by the Port Huron Times Herald, the child had multiple injuries at the time of his death, which included head lacerations, chest bruises, and blunt impact traumas to his lower limbs.
WDIV reported that Amanda Maison and Houle hatched a plan to fabricate the events surrounding her son’s death. It was also reported that Maison’s mother was complicit in this scheme. According to Sparling, Amanda Maison and Houle both accused each other of mistreating the toddler.
Amanda Maison allegedly admitted to pushing her son’s head into drywall so hard that it removed the backing. She also said that she did not take him to the doctor because she wanted to hide his injuries, according to WDIV.
Amanda Maison previously reported Houle to Child Protective Services for hitting her son. However, she later claimed she had misinterpreted the incident. She was also reported to the agency for striking an unidentified child with a mallet, though her parents claim it’s untrue, according to the Port Huron Times Herald.
Sparling said that Matthew Maison was kept in his room for hours without food or water. He also recounted an instance in which Houle covered the boy’s face with a pillow.
Houle and Amanda Maison are charged with first-degree murder. They remain jailed without bond.
[Feature Photo: WDIV]
