Vegan Mother Sentenced To Life In Prison After Toddler Son Dies From Starvation

A vegan mother from Florida will serve life in prison for starving her 18-month-old son to death.

On Monday, 38-year-old Sheila O’Leary was given six charges in connection to the starvation death of her 18-month-old son Ezra O’Leary, including first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse, and two counts of child neglect. Her husband, Ryan Patrick O’Leary, is currently in jail on the same charges.

According to NBC News, O’Leary was charged in Lee County, Florida. She reportedly only fed the child raw fruits, vegetables, and breast milk. There are no details on how often the couple fed the child or how much the child was fed at different periods of time.

At the time of his death in September 2019, the baby boy only weighed 17 pounds and was the size of a 7-month-old. The couple also has two other children who suffered from malnutrition, according to investigators.