The mother of Elijah Lewis is planning to plead guilty to his murder , nearly three years after the 5-year-old boy was found dead in a Massachusetts park in 2021.
Danielle Dauphinais, of Merrimack, is expected to appear at Hillsborough Superior Court South on Thursday morning to take a plea deal.
The plead would include a sentence of 55 years to life for second-degree murder. Dauphinais would also receive two sentences of up to 7 years for witness tampering, to be served concurrently with each other.
A lawsuit against Dauphinais claims she “tortured Elijah” and that at the time of his death, he only weighed as much as a watermelon.
The autopsy finds facial and scalp injuries, malnourishment, and traces of fentanyl.
Dauphinais was indicted by a grand jury on murder charges in connection with her son’s death in April 2022 . Dauphinais and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, were originally charged with witness tampering and child endangerment. Both remain in prison.