Danielle Dauphinais, a 38-year-old mother from New Hampshire, vehemently denied any involvement in the disappearance and harm of her 5-year-old son, Elijah Lewis, during an investigation on October 18, 2021. This occurred a day after Dauphinais and her boyfriend, Joseph Stapf, 34, were apprehended in a subway station in the Bronx, New York. Elijah’s body was discovered in a park in Abington, Massachusetts, several days later.
Despite her initial denial, Dauphinais later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, a reduction from the initial first-degree charge, and two counts of tampering with a witness. She is currently serving a sentence of 53 and a half years to life. Stapf also pleaded guilty, but to manslaughter, and is serving a sentence of up to 45 years.
Prior to these events, Dauphinais had expressed frustration with Elijah’s behavior in a text message to a friend, comparing him to infamous serial killers Ted Bundy and Jeffrey Dahmer. However, in court, family members and loved ones painted a different picture of the young boy, describing him as full of life.
During the 2021 interrogation, Dauphinais maintained her innocence, insisting she had no knowledge of what had happened to Elijah. She did, however, agree with an investigator’s suggestion that the boy was likely deceased.
Prosecutors presented text messages as evidence, showing conversations between Dauphinais and Stapf discussing abuse towards Elijah and withholding food from him. It was Stapf who urged Dauphinais to feed and allow the child to rest so he would appear healthier. Authorities stated that Elijah was found naked and bleeding from the head in a bathtub and died sometime between September 21 and 24.
Dauphinais enlisted Stapf’s help to dispose of Elijah’s body. They transported the body in a pickup truck to Abington, where they buried him in a shallow grave. Despite the evidence, Dauphinais continued to deny any wrongdoing, stating, “We didn’t do anything. There’s no body!”