A mother and her former partner are facing allegations of causing the death of her three-year-old son to clear the way for a child they planned to have together. The tragic incident occurred in Port Huron Township, Michigan, where the lifeless body of little Matthew Maison was discovered by his caregivers on February 18, 2018. The mother, Amanda Maison, and Maurice Houle, her then-boyfriend, were taken into custody in connection with the child’s death. Postmortem examination results revealed that Matthew had succumbed to injuries from blunt force trauma and potential suffocation.
Prosecutors disclosed that the ex-couple confessed to mistreating the young boy at the time of their arrest. Maison, aged 33, has admitted guilt to a charge of second-degree homicide linked to her son’s demise. During her court appearance on November 5, she acknowledged mistreating Matthew. She recounted an incident where she pushed his head against a wall in their residence during what she described as a “military time-out,” as per the statement from the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office. Maison revealed that she had been in a relationship with Houle, who was 28 at the time of his arrest, for two years from early 2016 until Matthew’s tragic end.
The mother confessed in court that she facilitated Houle’s alleged abuse of her child and actively participated in concealing it from child protective services and law enforcement. She also admitted to devising a plan to hide the circumstances of Matthew’s death from the authorities, as stated by the sheriff’s office.
Authorities uncovered a disturbing scheme orchestrated by Houle and Maison when they were apprehended. The couple had fabricated stories to explain some of Matthew’s prior injuries, including physical abuse by Houle, confinement without sustenance, and an incident where Houle placed a pillow over the child’s face under the guise of play.
St. Clair County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Sparling emphasized the severity of the case, highlighting the prolonged abuse Matthew endured at the hands of both defendants. Sparling further mentioned an alleged plan to eliminate Matthew to create space for a child the couple intended to have together. Maison confessed to avoiding medical appointments for Matthew to prevent healthcare professionals from seeing his injuries.
Initially charged with first-degree murder in April, both defendants pleaded not guilty. However, Maison changed her plea to guilty for second-degree homicide on November 5. As part of her plea agreement, she has agreed to provide testimony against Houle in his upcoming trial scheduled for early 2026.
