New Hampshire Mother to Plead Guilty to Murdering 5-Year-Old Son

September 26, 2024

MASSACHUSETTS: Danielle D. Dauphinais, 38, has agreed to plead guilty to second-degree murder and tampering with witnesses in connection with the brutal abuse and neglect of her 5-year-old son, Elijah Lewis, found dead with fentanyl in his system.

Dauphinais faces 55 years to life in prison for the homicide charge and an additional three-and-a-half to seven years for the tampering charges.

Elijah's disappearance sparked a 10-day search in October 2021. Authorities found Dauphinais and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, 33, in New York City. Elijah's body was discovered six days later in a Massachusetts state park, with evidence indicating he had been dead for about a month.

Prosecutors presented text messages showing Dauphinais and Stapf discussing abusing Elijah and withholding food. Stapf reportedly pleaded with Dauphinais to stop the abuse, but she refused.

Autopsy results revealed Elijah died from "violence and neglect, including facial and scalp injuries, acute fentanyl intoxication, malnourishment, and pressure ulcers."

Stapf pleaded guilty to manslaughter and related charges in September 2022 and was sentenced to 22-45 years in prison.

Elijah's father, Timothy Lewis, condemned Stapf, saying, "You are less than human... You could have stepped up to stop this at any point."

Texts obtained by The Boston Globe showed Dauphinais comparing Elijah to serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer, stating she wanted him "gone" due to his increasingly problematic behavior.

A friend, Erika Wolfe, revealed Dauphinais had expressed frustrations about Elijah, but assumed she was venting and thought authorities were monitoring the situation.

Wolfe recalled the messages after Elijah's disappearance made headlines, saying, "I remembered those messages... And I was like, 'Oh, no.'"

Dauphinais's plea hearing is scheduled for Thursday at 9 a.m.