A Michigan mother could spend the rest of her life in prison after admitting she helped create and conceal the violent abuse that led to the death of her three-year-old son.
Amanda Mae Maison, 33, pleaded guilty last month in the murder of her son, Matthew Maison, who was found dead inside the family’s Port Huron Township home in February 2018, according to ClickOnDetroit News.
Two years before Matthew died, Maison began a relationship with Maurice Houle, 29, whom she later told authorities had started physically abusing the child.
Investigators said Maison acknowledged shielding Houle by intentionally keeping the toddler’s injuries hidden from Child Protective Services and police. She also admitted that she participated in the abuse.
At her arraignment, prosecutors described a horrifying pattern of mistreatment, alleging the couple slammed Matthew’s head into a wall as part of what they called a “military-style timeout” and confined him to his room for hours without food or water.
An autopsy determined Matthew died from blunt force trauma and possible suffocation. Prosecutors further alleged that Maison and Houle killed the boy to “make room for a child of their own.”
“Amanda admitted that she willfully and wantonly allowed an environment to exist, where Matthew would be systemically abused, and that those abuses eventually resulted in Matthew’s death,” the sheriff’s office said.
Houle was sentenced Thursday to 31 to 60 years in prison for second-degree murder. Maison remains held at the St Clair County Jail and is scheduled to be sentenced next week.
Amanda Mae Maison, 33, of Michigan, may spend the rest of her life behind bars for killing her toddler after admitting she and her boyfriend abused him throughout their two-year relationship
Maison pleaded guilty last month to murdering her three-year-old son, Matthew Maison, who was found dead inside their Port Huron Township home in February 2018
Just two years before his death, Maison began dating Maurice Houle, 29, who she admitted began physically abusing her son
Maison told police she protected Houle by deliberately hiding the toddler’s injuries from Child Protective Services and other law enforcement
‘Thank you to the many law enforcement officers, family members, and others for bringing us to this day,’ the St Clair County Sheriff Mat King said in a statement to Facebook.
‘Matthew is finally beginning to get the justice he deserves. The dedication to this case is unmatched. Although this is not the end, I am confident justice will be served.’
The update comes nearly eight years after Matthew was found dead in his bed by his babysitter on February 18, 2018, according to previous reports from the Times Herald and Sanilac Broadcasting Company.
Houle and Maison were both arrested on murder charges in 2025.
The pair were taken into custody following ‘significant recent developments’ in the case, the sheriff’s office said in April.
As part of a plea deal, Maison pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and agreed to testify against her former boyfriend if he went to trial.
She told the court at a subsequent hearing that she and Houle had been together from 2016 until Matthew’s death, and had both plotted to cover up what happened to him.
Prosecutors alleged the couple killed Matthew to ‘make room’ for a child of their own, according to court statements reported by ClickOnDetroit.
Prosecutors said the couple would bang Matthew’s head against a wall as a ‘military-style timeout’ and leave him locked in his room for hours without food or water
An autopsy found the boy died from blunt force trauma and possible suffocation
Prosecutors alleged that the couple would also suffocate Matthew by holding a pillow over his head. Matthew is pictured with his grandparents who have campaigned for justice
Prosecutors alleged the couple killed Matthew to ‘make room’ for a child of their own, according to court statements reported by ClickOnDetroit
They also alleged that the couple suffocated Matthew by holding a pillow over his head.
In addition to the murder charge, Houle is also charged with assaulting/resisting arrest and injuring an officer, according to online court records.
Matthew’s grandmother Amy Maison has been vocal in calling for justice for Matthew.
She wrote on a Facebook page shortly after the hearing, saying: ‘Thank you all for your support we couldn’t have done this without your support. One down one to go.’
If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.
