WALL – Sheila O’Leary was sentenced to life imprisonment in the US state of Florida for the death of her 18-month-old boy.
O’Leary, 38, who like her family follows a strict vegan diet, was convicted of six crimes in June.
The crimes charged in connection with the death of his son, Ezra O’Leary, were first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse and twice child neglect.
The mother’s sentence in the case heard in Lee District Court in Florida had previously been suspended four times.
His wife, Ryan Patrick O’Leary, is also held in prison and awaits trial on the same charges.
Investigators noted that the family only ate raw fruit and vegetables, but the couple said the toddler was breastfed.
DEVELOPED BY 7 MONTHS
The police report stated that the 18-month-old boy weighed 8 kilograms and was the size of a 7-month-old baby when he died in September 2019.
The investigative team reported that the vegan couple living in the town of Cape Coral had two more children aged 3 and 5, and it was determined that they were also malnourished.
In a similar case of malnutrition in Virginia earlier, another child was handed over to his biological father, court records show. (NEWS CENTER)