( Image: New Hampshire Department of Justice)
A New Hampshire woman, Danielle Dauphinais, has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for the brutal death of her five-year-old son, Elijah Lewis, who suffered severe abuse and neglect before being found buried in a Massachusetts park in 2021. The sentencing, which took place after Dauphinais reached a plea agreement with prosecutors, included a guilty plea to second-degree murder and two counts of tampering with a witness.
This plea was a lesser charge compared to the original accusation of first-degree murder. During the sentencing hearing, the presiding judge emphasized the gravity of the case, stating, “We have to remove you from society and show society, from a judicial standpoint, that justice will be done and that the community, especially the children of the community, will be protected.” He regarded this case as one that warranted the highest level of punishment due to the horrific nature of the crime.
Dauphinais, 38, appeared in court wearing an orange jail jumpsuit and was visibly emotional throughout the proceedings, crying as she addressed the court. Her attorney had to step in to finish reading her prepared statement as she struggled to convey her remorse. In her emotional letter, she expressed deep regret for her actions, stating, “I was dealing with so much at that time that my judgment was extremely overwhelmed by my own trauma and untreated mental health issues, told AP News.
I was pregnant and on bed rest and I was still using drugs. I’ve been sober for three years. I will live with the guilt and sadness that I participated in allowing my son to die.” Her defense attorney, Benjamin Faulkner, argued that Dauphinais’ actions were influenced by her own traumatic past as a victim of abuse. He claimed, “I would suggest that she has complete and deep remorse for what she has done. She knows your honor, that the things that were done to her were the things that she did, except for worse.”
Dauphinais’ boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, who also played a significant role in the tragedy, pleaded guilty to several charges, including manslaughter and witness tampering, in connection with Elijah’s death. He was sentenced to 22 to 45 years in prison for his involvement.
Prosecutors revealed the horrific conditions under which Elijah lived before his untimely death. He was found with numerous injuries, including facial and scalp trauma, malnourishment, and signs of acute fentanyl intoxication. The abuse he endured was corroborated by a series of alarming text messages exchanged between Stapf and Dauphinais that displayed blatant hostility towards the young boy.
In one message, Stapf reportedly said, “He said he wants food and he wants me to stop starving him because it’s not nice.” Another chilling message read, “I’m gonna kill him and I mean it,” while yet another indicated that Stapf admitted to hitting Elijah with a shower rod.
Elijah was born in Arizona in 2016, but after his parents divorced the following year, he moved to New Hampshire with Dauphinais and Stapf. Tragically, in November 2020, a doctor’s visit revealed that Elijah weighed only 32 pounds and had visible bruises. By October 2021, following the birth of another child, Dauphinais attempted to leave the infant at a hospital, prompting an investigation by child services.
When Elijah was reported missing, investigators found his remains in a container buried in Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, Massachusetts. At the time of his discovery, Elijah weighed just 19 pounds and stood 3 feet tall, significantly below the average size for a five-year-old boy. Following their arrests for witness tampering and child endangerment, the couple’s actions led to the tragic outcome that has left a community in shock.
