‘You Do Not Deserve Forgiveness’: Michigan Mother Sentenced 9–15 Years After Son’s 2018 Death

PORT HURON, Mich. — Amanda Maison, 34, was sentenced to 9 to 15 years in prison on Friday after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the 2018 death of her three-year-old son, Matthew Maison. At her sentencing, Maison tearfully acknowledged she failed her child and expressed remorse for her role in the tragedy.

Case Background

Prosecutors said Matthew was repeatedly abused by Maison’s then-boyfriend, Maurice Houle, 29, while Maison and Houle lived together with Houle’s mother. Houle pleaded guilty to charges related to Matthew’s death and was sentenced earlier to 31 to 60 years in prison. Prosecutors described Houle as the primary abuser; court records say many of the beatings occurred while Maison was at work.

Plea Agreement And Sentencing Arguments

Maison entered her guilty plea in 2025; sentencing was postponed at the time because she had agreed to testify against Houle. Under the plea agreement with prosecutors, Maison faced a recommended sentence of 9 to 15 years. Her defense attorney, Sharon Parrish, asked the judge to impose a shorter term of seven-and-a-half years, arguing Maison had been overwhelmed by the relationship and had a history of trauma from abuse in the home where she was raised.

Assistant prosecutor Joshua Sparling disputed those mitigation claims, saying court filings and Maison’s prior statements do not document her being a victim of abuse. Sparling acknowledged Houle’s primary role in physically abusing Matthew but stressed that Maison also bore responsibility. He told the court Maison admitted participating in harmful practices — including “military time-outs” and, on one or two occasions, pressing the child’s head against a wall.

Matthew Maison (Amy Maison via Facebook)

Victim Impact Statements And Apology

Family members delivered emotional victim-impact statements. David Maison, Matthew’s grandfather, said the family had warned Amanda about staying in the home with Houle and accused her of ignoring those warnings. Amy Maison, the child’s step-grandmother, addressed the court directly:

"You do not deserve forgiveness. Matthew deserved better. He deserved love, safety and protection. Instead, we are left with eight years of pain, unanswered questions, and a lifetime of missing him."

Standing at the podium, Amanda Maison apologized and accepted responsibility for her failures as a parent. "My lack of action is what led to the death of my son, Matthew, and that will stay with me for the rest of my life," she said, adding that she felt she had also suffered emotionally and mentally in the relationship.

Judge’s Ruling

Judge Cynthia Lane said the court found that "the actions of Mr. Houle ultimately resulted in Matthew's death," but added Maison "aided and abetted, and in some ways, encouraged" the abuse. The judge imposed the agreed-upon sentence of 9 to 15 years and credited Maison for 518 days already served.

Outside the courthouse, David Maison expressed disappointment with the sentence, saying, "She definitely deserved more."

This case highlights difficult questions about culpability in child-abuse cases where multiple adults share a household and where one partner is the primary physical abuser. The convictions and sentences reflect the court's effort to weigh both direct physical harm and the responsibility of a parent who failed to protect a vulnerable child.