Sheila O’Leary was sentenced to life in prison for starving her 18-month-old son Ezra to death after only feeding him raw fruits and vegetables and some occasional breast milk.
Vegan mom gets life in prison after 18-month-old son starved to death on raw food diet | Just The News https://t.co/yxkm3Aoi51
— John Solomon (@jsolomonReports) September 1, 2022
O’Leary, who told police the entire family adheres to a strict vegan diet, was convicted on a slew of charges including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, and aggravated manslaughter of a child.
Police reports claim the boy, Ezra, though an 18-month-old toddler, looked more like a seven-month-old baby. He was said to weigh a mere 17 lbs, which is roughly seven pounds underweight.
“This child did not eat. He was starved to death over 18 months,” Francine Donnorummo, the Special Victims Unit chief for the Lee County State Attorney’s Office, stated during O’Leary’s trial.
Related: California Wants to Be a Sanctuary State for Child Abuse
O’Leary’s husband, Ryan O’Leary, is awaiting trial for the same charges as well as additional charges of sexual assault on a victim younger than 12 and lewd and lascivious behavior on a victim younger than 12.
The O’Learys also have a three-year-old and a five-year-old, both of whom were also malnourished. There was an 11-year-old girl who was taken from the O’Learys and sent to live with her biological father after a previous allegation of malnutrition. The judge ordered Sheila O’Leary to have no contact with her surviving children. It’s unclear which child Ryan O’Leary is accused of sexually assaulting.
Sheila O’Leary’s attorney, Lee Hollander, wasn’t surprised by the sentence.
“It was what we were expecting,” Hollander stated in an interview. Hollander also said he is appealing the sentence and asking for a new trial.
Ryan O’Leary remains behind bars as he awaits his trial.
Join the conversation as a VIP Member