A woman and her former partner are facing allegations of causing the death of her three-year-old son to create space for a child they could have together. The young boy, Matthew Maison, was discovered deceased in his home in Port Huron Township, Michigan, on February 18, 2018, by his caretakers. The mother, Amanda Maison, and Maurice Houle, her then-boyfriend, were taken into custody in connection with the incident. A postmortem examination revealed that Matthew succumbed to injuries from blunt force trauma and potential suffocation.
According to prosecutors, the former couple confessed to mistreating the child when apprehended. Maison, aged 33, has admitted to a charge of second-degree homicide related to her son’s demise. During her court appearance on November 5, she acknowledged abusing Matthew, recounting an incident where she pushed his head into a wall at their residence. Maison disclosed that she was in a relationship with Houle, who was 28 at the time of the arrest, from early 2016 until Matthew’s death.
In her testimony to the judge, Maison confessed to enabling Houle’s alleged abuse of her son and actively concealing it from authorities. She also admitted to devising a plan to hide the circumstances of Matthew’s death from law enforcement. The sheriff’s office reported her acknowledgment of participating in the physical abuse of Matthew and collaborating with Houle in concealing the truth from investigations spanning 2016 to 2018.
Upon their arrest, authorities uncovered a disturbing scheme in which Houle and Maison fabricated stories about Matthew’s previous injuries. Prosecutors detailed instances where Houle hit the child’s face, confined him without sustenance, and even placed a pillow over his face under the guise of play. The assistant prosecuting attorney emphasized the severity of the case, underscoring the prolonged abuse suffered by Matthew.
Additionally, it was alleged that there was a plan to eliminate Matthew to accommodate a child conceived by Maison and Houle. Maison confessed to avoiding medical appointments for Matthew to prevent doctors from noticing his injuries. Both individuals were initially charged with first-degree murder in April, with Maison later pleading guilty to second-degree homicide. As part of her plea deal, she agreed to testify in Houle’s trial scheduled for early 2026.