A woman and her former partner face allegations of causing the death of her three-year-old son to create space for a child they planned to have together. The lifeless body of little Matthew Maison was discovered by his caretakers in his residence in Port Huron Township, Michigan, on February 18, 2018. Subsequently, his mother, Amanda Maison, and Maurice Houle, her then-boyfriend, were taken into custody in connection with the incident. A post-mortem examination revealed that Matthew had succumbed to injuries from blunt force trauma and potential suffocation.
The former couple reportedly confessed to mistreating the child when apprehended, as per statements from prosecutors. Maison, aged 33, has admitted guilt to a charge of second-degree homicide concerning her son’s demise. During her court appearance on November 5, she acknowledged mistreating Matthew and disclosed details of the events. Maison disclosed that she and Houle, who was 28 at the time of arrest, were in a relationship for two years from early 2016 until Matthew’s death.
In her testimony, Maison confessed to enabling Houle’s abusive behavior towards her child and actively concealing it from authorities. She also admitted to devising a plan to hide the circumstances of Matthew’s death from law enforcement. Authorities reported that Amanda stated that Maurice physically abused Matthew during their relationship and she played a role in concealing his injuries from 2016 until the murder investigation in 2018. Amanda acknowledged her participation in the abuse by pushing Matthew’s head into a wall during a disciplinary incident.
Upon their arrest, investigators uncovered a disturbing scheme where Houle and Maison fabricated stories about Matthew’s prior injuries. It was revealed that Matthew endured physical abuse, isolation without sustenance, and an incident where Houle smothered him with a pillow while pretending to play. The prosecuting attorney emphasized the severity of the case, citing years of abuse suffered by Matthew at the hands of both defendants.
Moreover, it was alleged that there was a plan to eliminate Matthew to make way for a child the couple intended to have together. Maison further confessed to avoiding medical appointments for Matthew to prevent doctors from observing his injuries. Initially charged with first-degree murder in April, both defendants pleaded not guilty. However, Maison changed her plea to second-degree homicide on November 5 and agreed to testify against Houle in his upcoming trial scheduled for early 2026.