5-year-old found dead last month in a Massachusetts state park died by homicide, officials say
By Jenn Selva, CNN
Elijah Lewis, a 5-year-old boy who was reported missing in New Hampshire on October 14. Merrimack Police DepartmentCNN —
Elijah Lewis, a 5-year-old found dead in a Massachusetts state park after being missing for more than a month, died by homicide, officials said Monday.
An autopsy found the boy’s cause of death “was determined to be violence and neglect, including facial and scalp injuries, acute fentanyl intoxication, malnourishment and pressure ulcers,” the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office said in a news release.
Elijah’s remains were found by state police on October 23 in Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, about 20 miles southeast of Boston. His body was discovered in what investigators referred to as a grave, the attorney general’s office said at the time.
Elijah’s disappearance was brought to the attention of authorities by New Hampshire’s Division for Children, Youth & Families (DCYF) on October 14. He wasn’t reported missing prior to this time, officials said.
Police in Merrimack, New Hampshire, began investigating and were joined by New Hampshire State Police and the New Hampshire Department of Justice, according to the attorney general’s office.
New Hampshire Senior Assistant Attorney General Susan Morrell told CNN affiliate WMUR last month that investigators believe they narrowed down the time frame Elijah went missing back to September 1.
Elijah’s mother, Danielle Dauphinais, 35, and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, 30, were arrested on charges of child endangerment and witness tampering on October 17 and are being held without bond, the attorney general’s office said.
Witness tampering charges against Dauphinais and Stapf stem from evidence showing the pair allegedly asked people to lie about Elijah’s whereabouts and where he was living, knowing child protection services were searching for the boy, the attorney general said in an October statement.
CNN has reached out to the attorneys for Dauphinais and Stapf for comment but did not immediately hear back.
Mother charged in death of 5-year-old boy found buried in park
By WCVB/WMUR staff
Published: Apr. 20, 2022 at 10:11 PM GMT+7
CONCORD, N.H. (WCVB/WMUR) – The mother of a 5-year-old New Hampshire boy, whose body was found buried in a Massachusetts park last year, has been charged in his death.
A grand jury returned the indictment on Friday with counts of first- and second-degree murder.
Danielle Dauphinais, 35, has been indicted by a Hillsborough County grand jury for purposely causing the death of Elijah Lewis, her 5-year-old son.
“Every murder is difficult. It’s especially difficult when we’re dealing with a young child. Like I said, our team has been working hard on this and will continue to work hard as the case moves forward,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said.
The search for Elijah started in October of last year when it was brought to the attention of the Division of Children, Youth and Families that he had not been seen for about a month before being reported missing.
His body was found partially buried in a state park in Abington, Massachusetts, a few weeks later, his death officially ruled a homicide.
Neighbors in Merrimack, New Hampshire, where the boy used to live, said they feel like they’ve been living in a crime scene and said. that the indictment brings some closure.
“It just ain’t right. That poor child wasn’t abused, that child was tortured,” said neighbor Eric Robey.
“Basically gonna help buy it, and I’m fixing the place up. I’m trying to clean up the misery,” said Bill Roy, who is moving into a home in the neighborhood.
Reminders of Elijah’s story remain on display in the neighborhood, like this sign in front of a neighbors house, asking people to Google the case.
“I never locked my doors when I moved in,” Robey said. “Been here for six or seven years now, now I lock my doors. I have security cameras, you know? I never had that before so, I mean that’s what my neighborhood is coming to.”
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