Vegan mom sentenced to life in prison for son’s death from ‘severe malnutrition’ – Fox News
A mother in Florida, thirty-eight-year-old Sheila O’Leary, was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, August 29, in connection with the starvation death of her 18-month-old son, Ezra O’Leary.
She was found guilty on all charges on June 28, including first-degree murder, aggravated manslaughter, aggravated child abuse, child abuse, and two counts of child neglect.
According to her lawyer Lee Hollander, he plans to appeal her conviction and request a new trial.
Ezra O’Leary died on September 17, 2019, and weighed only 17 pounds at the time of death, according to police.
Francine Donnorummo, the SVU Chief at the office of the State Attorney, said during the closing remarks, “This child did not eat. He was starved to death over 18 months.”
After the child’s death, the police learned that the O’Leary family followed a strict vegan diet. They consumed only raw fruits and vegetables. In addition to those, Ezra also received breast milk.
The O’Learys had three additional children in the home at the time, a 3-year-old, a 5-year-old, and an 11-year-old.
Ryan O’Leary has also been indicted on the same charges in addition to molestation charges and will sit before a judge in September.
Sheila O’Leary and Ryan O’Leary are in the Lee County Jail, where they have been held since November 2019.
For more coverage on this story, please see the additional news sources below:
- Vegan mom sentenced to life in prison for son’s death from ‘severe malnutrition’ Fox News
- Vegan mom sentenced to life for toddler’s malnutrition death KIRO Seattle
- Cape Coral mom sentenced to life for starvation death of 18-month-old son Wink News
- After Several Delays, Vegan Mom Sentenced to Life in Prison for Murdering 18-Month-Old Son by ‘Severe Malnutrition and Dehydration’ Law & Crime
- Cape Coral mother sentenced to life in prison for starvation of her toddler Yahoo News
- https://www.fox4now.com/news/local-news/lee-county/timeline-oleary-child-abuse-case Fox4now