Danielle Dauphinais, the mother of a 5-year-old New Hampshire boy found buried in Massachusetts in 2021, will plead guilty and is expected to receive a lengthy prison sentence.
According to NECN, Dauphinais initially pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and witness tampering, in connection with her son Elijah Lewis’ death.
On Monday, she informed Hillsborough Superior Court of her intent to plead guilty to second-degree murder, which carries a 55-years-to-life sentence, and two counts of witness tampering, with an additional 3.5 to seven years.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, police found Elijah dead in a Massachusetts park in October 2021, about 90 minutes from his home in New Hampshire. A state police cadaver dog found the boy’s body in Abington on October 23, which is around about 20 miles south of Boston.
New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said that Elijah’s died from violence, neglect, “facial and scalp injuries, acute fentanyl intoxication, malnourishment, and pressure ulcers.”
Dauphinais’ boyfriend. Joseph Stapf, was also arrested and subsequently pleaded guilty to manslaughter, assault, falsifying physical evidence and witness tampering. He was sentenced to 20-40 years in state prison.
In a text message exchange between Dauphinais and a friend, Dauphinais referred to her son as the next Ted Bundy, a notorious serial killer responsible for the deaths of numerous women.
“It’s so sad but I have no connection with this child,” Dauphinais wrote, complaining about Elijah’s behavior. “I call him the next Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer,” she wrote, referring to the notorious serial killers.
Court records indicated that Elijah’s father sent the boy, one of Dauphinais’ six children, to live with her in May 2020, despite a previous custody battle that banned Dauphinais from contact with the boy.
Her plea hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Check back for updates.
[Feature Photo:Elijah Lewis/Handout]
