A New Hampshire mother is being charged in the murder of her own child.
Danielle Dauphinais has been indicted on multiple charges in connection with the death of her son, 5-year-old Elijah Lewis.
Prior to the child's death, Danielle allegedly told a friend via the Snapchat app that she had "no connection" with the him and that she believed he was "the next Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer."
New Hampshire Attorney General John M. Formella announced the indictment on Monday. "On April 15, 2022, the Hillsborough County Grand Jury – Southern District returned indictments charging Danielle Dauphinais with one count of first degree murder for purposely causing the death of Elijah Lewis; one count of second degree murder for causing the death of Elijah Lewis recklessly with extreme indifference to the value of human life; and three counts of tampering with witnesses," he said.
The 35-year-old mother is currently being held without bail. An arraignment is set to be scheduled in Hillsborough County Superior Court.
Back in October of 2021, the little boy's remains were found. His body had been buried in a shallow grave near Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, Massachusetts. He had been reported missing earlier that month.
The child's mother had allegedly been complaining about him to a friend prior to his death. In June, Dauphinais allegedly told her friend Erika Wolfe through the Snapchat app, "I call him the next Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer."
"It's so sad but I have no connection with this child," she wrote, according to the Boston Globe. "His father took him at the age of one and never returned him until last May 2020. He's been getting worse and worse. I want him gone. I can't handle it anymore."
The mother and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, were arrested on October 18. According to news station WHDH, authorities said they were accused of asking individuals to lie about the child and what his living situation was. That came after they learned child protective services was searching for him.
An autopsy revealed the child died from neglect, malnourishment, and fentanyl poisoning. He also had injuries on his face and scalp.
If you suspect child abuse, you can call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-422-4453 (1-800-4-A-Child) or go to Childhelp.org. The hotline is available 24/7.
