PORT HURON TOWNSHIP, MI – A Michigan mother has admitted to fatally abusing her 3-year-old son after years of systematic mistreatment, agreeing to testify against her former boyfriend as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

Amanda Mae Maison, 33, pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder in the 2018 death of her son, Matthew Maison, according to authorities in St. Clair County. Facing life in prison, Maison remains jailed while awaiting sentencing. Her cooperation includes providing detailed testimony against Maurice Houle, her ex-boyfriend, who is separately charged with first-degree murder in connection with the case.

Investigators say Maison and Houle carried out repeated abuse against Matthew between 2016 and 2018. According to court records, Maison confessed to participating in the abuse and admitted to concealing her son’s injuries during previous investigations by child welfare officials and law enforcement. She specifically recounted how she once forced Matthew’s head into a wall during a “military time out.”

The three-year-old was discovered dead in his bed in the family’s Port Huron Township home on Feb. 18, 2018. Authorities reported that the child had visible bruises and a black eye at the scene, prompting a homicide investigation that would span several years.

Detectives established that Matthew’s grandfather had previously alerted Child Protective Services after being told about Houle physically assaulting the boy. Maison initially confirmed the abuse to her father, but later retracted her statement when authorities arrived, severing contact with her father thereafter.

Testimony from the lead detective revealed that both Maison and Houle admitted to inflicting harsh penalties on the toddler, including extended “military time-outs,” where Matthew was forced to kneel before a wall, sometimes resulting in his head being banged against it. Both adults also accused the other of attempting to smother the child using a pillow.

During a court hearing in April, it was disclosed that there had been a history of attempts by the couple to cover up the abuse. Prosecutors described a troubling environment in which both Maison and Houle were alleged to have seen Matthew as an obstacle to starting a new family together. Evidence presented in court included details of a mutual decision to terminate a later pregnancy, with prosecutors arguing that the couple had planned to “make room for a child the two of them could have together.”

The judge presiding over the case permitted prosecutors to include evidence regarding the abortion and established that its relevance outweighed any potential prejudice, pointing to the possibility that Matthew was considered an impediment.

Authorities lauded the work of law enforcement, investigators, and others who doggedly pursued the case over the past seven years, continuing to gather evidence that eventually led to charges and court proceedings.

Houle’s trial for first-degree murder is set to take place later this year, with Maison slated to provide testimony detailing the extent of the abuse and her role in concealing it. Meanwhile, Matthew’s death continues to serve as a sobering reminder of the challenges faced by child protection agencies and law enforcement in preventing tragedy in the home.