Mom Wanted a New Baby—So She Planned Her 3-Year-Old Son’s Death, Prosecutors Say

It’s the kind of case that stops you in your tracks. A child—just three years old—full of promise, curiosity, and innocence, taken from the world far too soon. But what makes this tragedy even more unbearable is who police say is responsible: his own mother and her boyfriend.

Authorities in Michigan have arrested Amanda Maison and her partner, Maurice Houle, accusing them of something almost unthinkable: plotting to kill Amanda’s toddler son, Matthew Maison, because they allegedly wanted to start a new family without him.

Their reason, according to prosecutors? “To make room.”

A Life Barely Begun

Matthew Maison was only 3 years old. In pictures, he had big eyes and a smile that could melt anyone’s heart. He loved cartoons, his stuffed animals, and playing in the yard. He hadn’t even started kindergarten.

In 2018, emergency crews were called to a home in St. Clair County, where Matthew was found unresponsive. He was pronounced dead at the scene. At the time, police couldn’t prove what had happened—but they suspected something wasn’t right.

Now, nearly seven years later, investigators say they have the evidence that confirms what many feared: Matthew didn’t die by accident. He was murdered.

“They Wanted a Child of Their Own”

According to St. Clair County Prosecutor Michael Wendling, the couple saw Matthew as a “problem” that needed to be “removed.”

“They wanted to build a life together. But that life, in their minds, didn’t include Matthew,” Wendling said during a press briefing.

Investigators allege that the couple not only talked about wanting their “own” baby together but actively made plans to get rid of Amanda’s son. The charges against them include first-degree premeditated murder and conspiracy to commit murder.

What’s most haunting is the idea that this child’s life ended not in a random tragedy—but in a deliberate betrayal.

A Community in Mourning

The news has shaken the community to its core. For those who knew Matthew, the grief is sharp and deeply personal.

“He was a sweet boy,” said a neighbor who asked to remain unnamed. “He’d wave when you walked by. He loved running around in the grass. You just can’t wrap your head around this.”

Even strangers—people who never met Matthew—have taken to social media, sharing heartbreak and outrage. “How could anyone do this to a child?” one commenter wrote. “To your own child?”

Justice—Long Overdue

Amanda Maison and Maurice Houle are both in custody, now facing the full weight of the legal system. They’ve each been charged with multiple felony counts and are awaiting trial. If convicted, they could spend the rest of their lives in prison without the possibility of parole.

For those left behind—especially the few relatives who truly loved Matthew—the pain hasn’t dulled with time. If anything, it’s resurfaced with even more intensity now that the truth is coming to light.

Matthew’s name won’t be forgotten. Neither will the questions this case raises: How did no one see this coming? Could it have been prevented? And most painfully of all—what was going through that little boy’s mind in his final moments?