A New Hampshire woman, Danielle Dauphinais, was sentenced to 53 years to life in prison for the death of her 5-year-old son, Elijah Lewis, who was beaten, starved, and exposed to drugs. Dauphinais pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and other charges in the case. Elijah suffered severe injuries, was malnourished, and had acute fentanyl intoxication. His body was found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021 after having been monitored through video and confined in a bathroom tub for long periods.
The prosecution had asked for a 55-year sentence for Dauphinais, while the defense requested 35 years as the minimum term. She also received additional years on lesser offenses. Dauphinais’ boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, also pleaded guilty to charges related to Elijah’s death and was sentenced to 22 to 45 years in prison. Text messages between the couple revealed hostility towards Elijah and frustration over his behavior, with threats and abusive language used.
Dauphinais, who was pregnant and abusing drugs, was unable to manage Elijah’s aggressive behavior and maintain his care while also caring for another child. She blamed her ex-husband for not providing insurance information to seek help for Elijah. Elijah was living with Dauphinais, Stapf, and their 2-year-old daughter in the basement of a home where Stapf’s mother resided. Elijah’s father, Timothy Lewis, raised concerns about his care but did not take him back due to safety concerns for other children in his home.
Prosecutors revealed that Elijah had weighed only 32 pounds and had bruises at a doctor visit, and Dauphinais later lied about his whereabouts after his death. She gave birth to another child in 2021, and drugs were found in the infant’s system when brought to the hospital. Elijah’s body was found in a Massachusetts park after his disappearance, and investigators discovered that Dauphinais and Stapf had buried him there. Dauphinais had contacted her sister and a friend to lie about Elijah’s whereabouts, leading to his remains being discovered.
Elijah’s father expressed his inability to forgive Dauphinais for her actions and hoped that she would be haunted by their son’s death. Dauphinais’ defense mentioned her struggles with caring for Elijah and her other children while dealing with drug abuse, while prosecutors emphasized her lack of action to help Elijah and shifting blame onto others. The case highlighted the tragic abuse and neglect that Elijah suffered at the hands of his mother and her boyfriend, leading to his untimely death and the harrowing discovery of his body years later.
