A New Hampshire woman is facing over 50 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to the second-degree murder of her 5-year-old son.
Elijah Lewis was beaten, starved and exposed to drugs, weighing just 19 pounds when his body was discovered. The average weight of a boy his age is 40 pounds.
Danielle Dauphinais, 38, was initially scheduled for trial but accepted a plea deal last month.
The case has drawn attention for the harrowing details surrounding Elijah's suffering before his death and the series of decisions that led to his body being found in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
Prolonged Abuse
Prosecutors revealed that Elijah endured a prolonged period of abuse.
His autopsy reported injuries on his face and scalp, severe malnourishment and acute fentanyl intoxication. Pressure ulcers, commonly seen in cases of prolonged neglect, were also found on his body.
'I'm Gonna Kill Him and I Mean It'
Elijah's early life was wrecked by family instability.
Born in Arizona in 2016, the boy's parents divorced a year later, eventually moving to New Hampshire in 2020 to live with Dauphinais, her boyfriend Joseph Stapf, and the two-year-old girl Dauphinais had with Stapf.
The family lived in the basement of Stapf's mother's home.
Text messages between Dauphinais and Stapf offer insight into the bleak environment Elijah was raised in.
Prosecutors read aloud messages sent between the couple in which they expressed anger and hostility toward Elijah, frequently venting about his behavior.
"He said he wants food and he wants me to stop starving him because it's not nice," one said.
At another point, Dauphinais texted, "I'm gonna kill him and I mean it," while another message said, "I hit him with the shower rod—that's all I did."
Stapf, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter and multiple other charges in 2022, was sentenced to serve between 22 and 45 years in prison. His texts to Dauphinais included messages instructing her to "fatten [Elijah] up" when they were concerned about his appearance.
Father Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Elijah's father, Timothy Lewis, voiced concerns over the boy's health and well-being for over a year before he died, after noticing what he described as neglect and developmental challenges.
In a doctor's appointment in November 2020, Elijah was observed weighing 32 pounds and covered in bruises. In response to concerns raised by the state Division for Children, Youth and Families, Dauphinais claimed that she had sent Elijah to live with her sister in California, a custody arrangement she said was approved by his father.
However, she reportedly did not follow through on these plans, nor were they verified.
In a wrongful-death lawsuit filed earlier this year against Dauphinais, her partner, his mother, and New Hampshire's child services agency, Lewis cited his son's worsening behavior as a significant factor prompting his concerns.
The case suggests medical neglect—it is believed Elijah was dead for weeks before authorities were notified, and child services didn't ensure a move away from his mother was fulfilled.
In October 2021, Dauphinais gave birth to another child. Medical staff found evidence of drugs in the infant's system, which finally triggered a child services investigation.
How Massachusetts Authorities Found Elijah Lewis
Massachusetts State Police later learned that Dauphinais had contacted family members to ask them to lie about her son's location.
Shortly afterward, both were apprehended in New York on charges related to Elijah's disappearance. Days later, law enforcement found the boy's remains.
Prosecutors believe that Elijah died around September 2021.
According to their findings, Dauphinais and Stapf allegedly placed his body in a container and transported it to a wooded area in Massachusetts, where Stapf buried him in a shallow grave.
A lawyer representing the state child services division has requested dismissal of the father's lawsuit, arguing that the agency did not hold custody of the child at the time.
Dauphinais is due for sentencing at 10 a.m. E.T. at Hillsboro Superior Court.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press
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