'I was stupid': Houle sentenced for Matthew Maison murder
A Michigan judge sentenced Maurice Houle to 31–60 years in prison on August 27, 2026, for the 2018 murder of 3-year-old Matthew Maison—rejecting his apology after he admitted smashing the toddler's head into a wall and told the court, "I was stupid" for failing to stop the abuse. The sentencing put a court live spotlight on a killing that went uncharged for more than seven years before Houle and the boy's mother were arrested.
St. Clair County Circuit Court proceedings on Thursday closed a long-delayed chapter in one of Michigan's most disturbing child-death cases. Houle, 29, had pleaded guilty last month to second-degree murder and three counts of assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer, with a felony murder charge dismissed as part of the deal.
Key Takeaways
- Maurice Houle received 31–60 years for the February 2018 murder of Matthew Maison, his girlfriend's 3-year-old son.
- Houle apologized in court and said "I was stupid," but the judge told him, "I don't believe you're sorry."
- Prosecutors said Houle banged the boy's head into a wall; autopsy findings included blunt force trauma and possible suffocation.
- Matthew's mother, Amanda Mae Maison, also pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faces sentencing on September 11.
- Both were arrested more than seven years after Matthew was found dead in Port Huron Township.
What happened to Matthew Maison?
Matthew Maison was found dead in February 2018. An autopsy showed he suffered blunt force trauma and possible suffocation, according to St. Clair County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Joshua Sparling.
At arraignments, Sparling said Houle and Amanda Maison banged the child's head into a wall and locked him in his room for hours without food or water. Court records cited by authorities show Amanda Maison admitted she and Houle physically abused Matthew and devised a plan to conceal how he died.
She also admitted concealing her son's injuries from Child Protective Services and law enforcement during investigations from 2016 through the murder probe. The couple had been together from 2016 until the day Matthew died.
What did Maurice Houle say in court?
During the sentencing hearing, Houle apologized for Matthew Maison's murder. According to Court TV, he told the judge he was "stupid" for not intervening sooner as abuse escalated in the home.
The judge showed no mercy. Court TV reported she responded, "I don't believe you're sorry," before imposing the prison term on a defendant who had admitted smashing the toddler's head into a wall.
Matthew's step-grandmother, Amy Maison, also addressed the court at sentencing, according to the Port Huron Times Herald.
How long will Houle spend in prison?
A judge ruled Thursday that Houle will serve 31 to 60 years for second-degree murder, ClickOnDetroit reported. He also faced the obstructing-officer counts tied to the investigation.
Both Houle and Amanda Maison were initially charged with first-degree murder. Their arrests came more than seven years after Matthew's death, when the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office brought them in for a new round of questioning.
Amanda Maison, 33, of Port Huron Township, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder after admitting she killed her son. She agreed to testify against Houle if the case went to trial and remains jailed ahead of her own sentencing.
What's next for Amanda Maison?
Amanda Maison is scheduled to be sentenced at 11 a.m. on September 11. She faces up to life in prison on the second-degree murder charge.
Authorities said she willfully allowed an environment where Matthew was systematically abused, and that those abuses eventually resulted in his death. For more coverage of cases like this, see our True Crime & Unsolved Mysteries hub.