The mother of Elijah Lewis, a 5-year-old child found dead almost three years ago in a rural area of Abington, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in her son’s death in 2021.
Danielle Dauphinais, 38, will face 58 years to life in prison when she is sentenced next month. Dauphinais was slated for trial and initially pleaded not guilty before deciding to modify her plea.
In a plea agreement with prosecutors, she also admitted to two charges of witness tampering in the death of her son, Elijah Lewis. At a hearing in Hillsborough County Superior Court South, Dauphinais stated that she understood the terms of a guilty plea agreement reached with prosecutors.
She donned an orange jumpsuit and chains as she confessed to two charges of witness tampering in connection with her son’s death.
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According to court records, the “capped plea” agreement, which occurs when a defendant and prosecutors agree on a sentence less than the maximum that can be imposed under state law, calls for Dauphinais to be sentenced to 55 years to life plus three-and-a-half to seven years for each of the witness tampering charges.
Authorities Searched for the Body of Elijah Lewis for Ten Days
Elijah Lewis’ disappearance sparked an intensive search by officials in at least five states, making national news. The search, which began when New Hampshire’s Division for Children, Youth, and Families reported the youngster missing, lasted ten days before his body was discovered.
The indictment also claimed that on or around October 14, 2021, the day Lewis was reported missing, Dauphinais asked two people to lie to child protective agency workers, claiming the boy was with them when he wasn’t.
Dauphinais allegedly told a friend four months before Elijah Lewis’ death that she could no longer control the youngster, comparing him to serial killers and stating that she wanted him “gone.”
According to screenshots of the discussion acquired by the Globe, Dauphinais complained to a childhood friend via text message that Lewis, the fourth of her six children, had become particularly troublesome.
Some in the courtroom donned custom shirts with photographs of Lewis and pleas for justice on his behalf. One individual sobbed as prosecutors read out several profanity-laced text texts Dauphinais allegedly texted about her kid.
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What Was the Cause of the Death of Elijah Lewis?
In October 2021, in Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, Massachusetts, the child was reported missing and later found dead. An autopsy showed he suffered facial and scalp injuries, acute fentanyl intoxication, malnourishment, and pressure ulcers.
Elijah Lewis would have been subjected to “torture, repeated physical assaults, ongoing psychological maltreatment, including emotional rejection, denigration, isolation, and denial of care,” according to a doctor’s testimony during the trial.
As a result, a sad mix of abuse and neglect claimed the life of 5-year-old Elijah Lewis of New Hampshire.
Elijah Lewis’ Mother’s Boyfriend Pled Guilty in 2022
In 2022, Dauphinais’ boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, pled guilty to manslaughter, second-degree assault, manipulating physical evidence, and witness tampering in connection with the boy’s death. He received a sentence of 22 to 45 years in jail.
Durand read a series of texts from Dauphinais to Stapf in court, all of which were hostile to Elijah.
“He said he wants food, and he wants me to stop starving him because it’s not nice,” one said. Another one read, “I’m gonna kill him, and I mean it.”Another added, “I hit him with the shower rod; that’s all I did.”
Prosecutors stated that when Elijah was discovered, he was 3 feet (91 centimeters) tall and weighed 19 pounds (8.6 kilograms), whereas a normal 5-year-old boy would be 3.6 feet (1.1 meters) tall and closer to 40 pounds (18 kilograms).
When Elijah Lewis remained missing, Stapf and Dauphinais were arrested in New York. Lewis’ remains were discovered days following his arrest.
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What a Search of the Couple’s Residence Turned Up
Investigators discovered several suspicious objects during their search of the couple’s home. Notably, they found a locked box carrying a completed methadone prescription for Danielle Dauphinais.
According to the complaint, there were also two bags filled with a brown powder substance that was consistent with “heroin/fentanyl.” Investigators discovered a filled methadone subscription in another locked box.
The house was in chaos, with evidence indicating that Elijah Lewis had not received adequate care and attention. There were signs of neglect, such as filthy living conditions and a poor food supply.
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