A heartless mother subjected her defenseless young child to fatal abuse in order to create more space in her residence, according to court records.
Amanda Mae Maison, who displayed twisted behavior, has confessed to causing the death of three-year-old Matthew Maison, seven years after his tragic demise. She confined the child in rooms for extended periods, physically assaulted him by hitting his head against walls, and allegedly encouraged her then-partner to mistreat her son.
The abusive parent even subjected the vulnerable boy to harsh disciplinary measures referred to as “military time outs” as part of her pattern of intimidation. The lifeless body of Matthew was discovered in his bed by his caretakers. Amanda Maison and Maurice Houle, her former boyfriend, were taken into custody in connection with the incident.
Postmortem examination results revealed that Matthew succumbed to injuries from blunt force trauma and possible suffocation. Maison struck a deal with prosecutors that includes her admission of guilt and a commitment to provide truthful testimony against Maurice Houle in his impending first-degree murder trial.
During her plea on November 5, the 33-year-old mother acknowledged mistreating Matthew. Court documents suggest that the duo conspired to eliminate Matthew in order to make room for a child they could have together. Maison confessed to an instance where she forcefully pushed her son’s head against a wall while imposing a “military time-out” at their residence, as stated by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office.
Maison also admitted to enabling Houle’s abusive acts towards her child and actively participating in concealing the abuse from authorities. She further confessed to devising a plan to hide the circumstances surrounding Matthew’s death from law enforcement.
Authorities uncovered a sinister scheme by Maison and Houle to fabricate stories about how Matthew sustained past injuries, according to St. Clair County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Sparling. Sparling emphasized the severity of the case, underscoring the years of suffering Matthew endured at the hands of both defendants.
Maison revealed that she deliberately avoided taking Matthew to medical appointments to conceal his injuries. The pair was indicted for first-degree murder in April, with both initially pleading not guilty. However, Maison later pleaded guilty to second-degree homicide on November 5 and agreed to testify against Houle in his trial scheduled for early 2026.
