Vegan mom guilty of murder in starvation death of baby (msn.com)
A Florida mom who insisted on feeding her 18-month-old son a strictly vegan diet has been found guilty of murdering the little boy.
The Fort Myers New Press reports Sheila O’Leary, 39, convicted Wednesday, fed her toddler only raw fruits and vegetables.
Ezra O’Leary weighted just 17 pounds when he died in 2019, about seven pounds below average for a baby his age. At the time of his death, his parents noticed he had stopped breathing.
The convicted killer and her husband Ryan told detectives the child was on an intense vegan diet but that he was breast fed too. Prior to his death, little Ezra had not eaten for a week and struggled to sleep.
The couple was then arrested and charged.
An autopsy confirmed that Ezra died from complications linked to malnutrition.
But even when he was dying, Ezra’s mother did not seek out medical care for the boy.
“She chose to disregard his cries,” Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller told the court. “She didn’t need a scale to see his bones. She didn’t need a scale to hear his cry.”
In addition, the prosecutor said they also neglected their other three children.
“We’re here because their children were starving so much that the youngest starved to death,” Miller said.
Her husband Ryan is slated to go on trial for the same charges.
A Florida mom who insisted on feeding her 18-month-old son a strictly vegan diet has been found guilty of murdering the little boy.
The Fort Myers New Press reports Sheila O’Leary, 39, convicted Wednesday, fed her toddler only raw fruits and vegetables.
Ezra O’Leary weighted just 17 pounds when he died in 2019, about seven pounds below average for a baby his age. At the time of his death, his parents noticed he had stopped breathing.
The convicted killer and her husband Ryan told detectives the child was on an intense vegan diet but that he was breast fed too. Prior to his death, little Ezra had not eaten for a week and struggled to sleep.
The couple was then arrested and charged.
An autopsy confirmed that Ezra died from complications linked to malnutrition.
But even when he was dying, Ezra’s mother did not seek out medical care for the boy.
“She chose to disregard his cries,” Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller told the court. “She didn’t need a scale to see his bones. She didn’t need a scale to hear his cry.”
In addition, the prosecutor said they also neglected their other three children.
“We’re here because their children were starving so much that the youngest starved to death,” Miller said.
Her husband Ryan is slated to go on trial for the same charges.
