Mom banged son’s head off drywall as punishment before he was killed ‘to make room for new child’

A mother killed her three-year-old son to “make room” for a child with her new partner, a court has heard.

Amanda Mae Maison, 33, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the February 2018 killing of her child, Matthew Maison, in Port Huron Township, Michigan. The woman reached a deal with prosecutors which, in addition to pleading guilty, also requires her to provide “truthful testimony” against her then-boyfriend, Maurice Houle, in his upcoming trial on the charge of first-degree murder.

The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release on Wednesday that Matthew’s death was reported to police by Houle in 2018. Both Maison and House were arraigned on murder charges in April this year. He is now being held at the St. Clair County Jail, awaiting trial.

According to the news release, Maison admitted that she had a two-year relationship with Houle which began in early 2016, up until the date of Matthew’s death. The St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office wrote that the mother stated that her then-partner “physically abused Matthew during their relationship” and that she “willingly participated in the intentional concealment of Matthew’s injuries to Child Protective Services and Law Enforcement investigations from 2016 through the 2018 murder investigation.”

Maison also admitted to participating in the physical abuse of her son, stating that she pushed the child’s head into a wall in their home during a “military time-out.” She also admitted that her son was “systemically abused” at home and that she participated in “actively contriving a plan to conceal the manner of Matthew’s death from law enforcement.”

The sheriff’s office said Maison has agreed to testify during Houle’s trial, which is expected to be held in early 2026. Her bond has been canceled and she will be held in custody of the St. Clair County Jail until her sentencing. The second-degree murder charge carries a possible sentence of life in prison.

Sheriff Mat King of the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office said after the plea hearing, “Thank you to the many law enforcement officers, family members, and others for bringing us to this day. 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.”

Matthew was found dead by his mother in his bed inside the family’s home on February 18, 2018. During a preliminary hearing in April, prosecutors told the court the child suffered “years of abuse at the hands of both defendants,” as reported by Law&Crime. A detective investigating the case pointed out that Matthew had visible injuries, including bruises and a black eye.

During the investigation, it emerged that Matthew’s grandfather had previously reported Maison and Houle to Child Protective Services (CPS) after the woman claimed she had seen her partner physically abuse her son because the child had spilled some food. However, when authorities arrived at the family’s home, the woman retracted her story and cut off ties with her father.

The detective said that while questioning Houle, he admitted that sometimes he would make the child do “military time-outs” which included kneeling in front of a wall with his hands on his head. Prosecutors said Matthew faced punishment including “being placed in timeout on his knees where his head would be banged off the drywall.”

Maison and Houle also claimed that they had seen the other attempt to smother Matthew with a pillow, with the mother also alleging that her partner had killed her son and had asked her to “take the fall” to keep him out of prison. In court, it was claimed that Maison had become pregnant with her third child when Matthew was still alive but the pair had decided to have an abortion because, despite wanting a child, they could not afford the additional expense.

Prosecutors alleged that the couple had a “plan” to “kill Matthew to make room for a child the two of them could have together.” As reported by WDIV Local 4, St. Clair County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Sparling said autopsy showed that Matthew died from blunt force trauma from his injuries and possible suffocation.

According to online court records, Maison’s sentencing hearing will not be scheduled until Houle’s trial is completed. The Times Herald reported that Houle’s next hearing on a motion to exclude evidence regarding his interactions with Child Protective Services is scheduled on December 19.

A plea hearing has been set for February 17, with a jury trial set to begin on February 24. Felony murder is punishable with up to life in prison.