A vegan Florida mother was sentenced to life in prison on Monday after she was found guilty of murder in the malnutrition death of her young son. The child reportedly sadly passed away in his sleep after not being fed for a week.
The 38-year-old woman, Sheila O’Leary, whose family followed a strict vegan diet, was convicted in June in the death of her 18-month-old son Ezra O’Leary. Sheila and her husband faced multiple charges including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse and two counts of child neglect.
Her sentencing had previously been postponed four times in Lee County, Florida.
Sheila’s husband, Ryan Patrick O’Leary, remains locked up while awaiting trial on the same charges. According to investigators, the family ate only raw fruits and vegetables.
However, the toddler was also fed breast milk. At the time of his death in September 2019, the 18-month-old boy weighed 17 pounds and was the size of a 7-month-old baby, according to a police report.
In a June statement, Francine Donnorummo, Special Victims Unit chief at the State Attorney’s Office, said the child did not eat and was starved to death over 18 months. In addition, Francine said the child’s parents failed to provide him with food and health care.
“This was a thought-out, planned course of action,” Francine told the News Press.
Investigators said two other children of the Cape Coral couple, ages 3 and 5, were also malnourished. Meanwhile, a fourth child had been returned to her biological parent in Virginia during an earlier malnutrition case, according to Fox35.