A Michigan couple was arrested on Friday, nearly seven years after the woman’s 3-year-old son died under suspicious circumstances.

Matthew Maison was found dead in his bed in February 2018, and an autopsy completed in 2021 determined he died from a combination of blunt force trauma and mechanical asphyxiation. St. Clair County Senior Assistant Prosecutor Joshua Sparling said during Monday’s arraignment hearing that Amanda Maison, 33, and Maurice Houle, 28, killed the boy to “make room for another child,” according to the Port Huron Times Herald.

Amanda Maison is the slain boy’s mother, while Houle is the mother’s boyfriend. Police questioned them about a black eye Matthew Maison reportedly suffered before his death. The Port Huron Times Herald reported that the boy had various injuries when he died, including lacerations on his head, bruises on his chest, and blunt impact injuries to his lower extremities.

According to WDIV, Amanda Maison and Houle devised a plot to lie about what happened to her son. Maison’s mother was reportedly also involved in this plot. Sparling alleged that Amanda Maison and Houle accused each other of abusing the toddler.

Amanda Maison allegedly admitted to pushing her son’s head into drywall so hard that it removed the backing. She also said that she did not take him to the doctor because she wanted to hide his injuries, according to WDIV.

Amanda Maison previously reported Houle to Child Protective Services for hitting her son. However, she later claimed she had misinterpreted the incident. She was also reported to the agency for striking an unidentified child with a mallet, though her parents claim it’s untrue, according to the Port Huron Times Herald.

Sparling said that Matthew Maison was kept in his room for hours without food or water. He also recounted an instance in which Houle covered the boy’s face with a pillow.

Houle and Amanda Maison are charged with first-degree murder. They remain jailed without bond.

[Feature Photo: WDIV]