A Michigan mother, aged 33, has confessed to the murder of her 3-year-old son, who officials say endured prolonged abuse at the hands of both her and her partner before being fatally assaulted.

Amanda Mae Maison has entered a guilty plea to a charge of second-degree murder for the tragic death of her son, Matthew Maison, in 2018. As reported by the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office, Maison’s plea agreement compels her to provide “truthful testimony” against her former boyfriend, Maurice Houle, who faces first-degree murder charges in an upcoming trial. This development was shared via a news release.

During Wednesday’s plea hearing, Maison confessed to having been in a relationship with Houle from early 2016 until Matthew’s demise. She acknowledged Houle’s physical abuse of Matthew during this period and admitted to actively hiding the child’s injuries from Child Protective Services and law enforcement from 2016 through the 2018 investigation.

Maison further admitted to creating an environment conducive to severe abuse and confessed to participating in this mistreatment. She detailed an incident where she “pushed Matthew’s head into a wall” at their residence during what she described as a “military time out,” according to the release.

Post-hearing, Maison was denied bail and is being held at the St. Clair County Jail pending her sentencing. The charge of second-degree murder could result in a life sentence.

“Thank you to the many law enforcement officers, family members, and others for bringing us to this day,” Sheriff Mat King said in a statement. “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.”

As Law&Crime previously reported,  Matthew was found dead by his mother in his bed inside the family’s Port Huron Township home on Feb. 18, 2018.

During a preliminary hearing in April, prosecutors told the court that Matthew suffered “years of abuse at the hands of both defendants.”

The detective who first headed up the investigation into Matthew’s death took the stand during the April hearing, testifying that when he went to the Maison residence on the day of Matthew’s death, he noticed that the child had visible injuries, including bruises and a black eye. Soon after, he discovered that Matthew’s grandfather had previously reported Maison and Houle to Child Protective Services (CPS).

The incident involving CPS occurred after Maison claimed she saw Houle physically abuse Matthew because the child spilled some food. She reportedly told her father what she had witnessed, and he called CPS. However, when authorities arrived at the Maison home, the mother retracted her story and cut off ties with her father.

The detective testified that when he interviewed Houle in 2018, the defendant initially claimed that Maison was the one who dealt with disciplining Matthew and the biological child of the two defendants. But under further questioning, the detective said Houle did admit that he sometimes punished Matthew by making the child do “military time-outs,” which involved kneeling in front of a wall with his hands on his head.

Prosecutors say Matthew was subjected to punishments that included “being placed in timeout on his knees where his head would be banged off the drywall.”

The detective who took over the case earlier this year testified that when Maison and Houle were interviewed in April 2025, they both claimed to have witnessed the other attempt to smother Matthew with a pillow.

Maison also alleged that Houle had killed her son and even asked her to “take the fall” for him to keep him out of prison.

The judge said he would allow prosecutors to admit testimonial evidence that when Matthew was still alive, Maison became pregnant with her third child, but the couple mutually decided to have an abortion. Despite wanting another shared child, the couple allegedly decided they could not afford the additional expense.

District Court Judge John Monaghan overruled objections from Maison’s defense attorney, reasoning that any prejudice against the defendants was outweighed by the evidence that Maison and Houle wanted another child and that Matthew was an impediment to that happening.

Prosecutors further asserted that the couple had a “plan” to “kill Matthew to make room for a child the two of them could have together.”

“Over the last seven years, the St. Clair County Sheriff’s Office has been unwavering in its commitment to bring justice for Matthew,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement. “Many detectives have had a part in keeping this case moving forward, continuously working to gather the evidence necessary for an arrest, trial, and conviction.”