Murder by malnutrition: Vegan mother convicted of killing 18-month-old boy who weighed just 17 pounds when he died after being fed a diet of only raw fruits and vegetables
- Sheila O’Leary convicted of first-degree murder in the death of her son Ezra in 2019
- Ezra stopped breathing due to malnutrition; his parents fed him raw vegetables, fruits and breast milk
- Sheila’s husband Ryan has also been charged with murder and is awaiting trial
- Both face life in prison after previously rejecting plea agreements that offered 30 years in prison
- The two had two older children who were severely malnourished, had yellow skin and rotten teeth.
A vegan mother has been convicted of murder for the death of her 18-month-old son who weighed just 17 pounds when he died in 2019 after being fed only fruit, vegetables and breast milk for a short life.
Sheila O’Leary, 39, was convicted on Tuesday after a week-long trial before a jury in Cape Coral, Florida.
She is now facing life behind bars and will be sentenced on July 25. Her son Ezra died in 2019 from complications caused by malnutrition.
Doctors found that he was not fed for a week when he died in September 2019.
Sheila and her husband, who are also charged with murder and awaiting trial, called 911 after Ezra stopped breathing.
Mother-of-four Sheila Leary is shown above. Her 18-month-old son Ezra died in September 2019 from complications caused by malnutrition.
Sheila O’Leary, 39, was convicted on Tuesday after a week-long trial before a jury in Cape Coral, Florida.
Sheila and her 30-year-old husband Ryan said they were both charged with murder after the 18-month-old died. They admitted to police that they should have called 911 when Ezra started struggling to breathe in 2019, but that they would rather go to sleep.
Paramedics pronounced the toddler dead at the scene. They also examined the couple’s parent’s three children.
The two were charged in December 2019 after Ezra’s cause of death was revealed.
“She chose to ignore his cries. She did not need a scale to see his legs. She did not need a scale to hear her cry,
No photos were ever released showing what condition the child was in when he died.
But prosecutors at Sheila’s trial described an emaciated child who cried incessantly.
“She chose to ignore his cries. She did not need a scale to see his legs.
“She did not need a scale to hear her cry,” Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller said.
The family home in Cape Coral, Florida, where the three children lived with their parents. The other children were taken into the custody of child services
The couple also had a three-year-old and a five-year-old who were severely malnourished.
Their skin was yellow and one had such poor dental hygiene that their teeth were black.
Sheila also has an 11-year-old daughter from a previous relationship and her health was significantly better than that of the other children.
The court heard how Sheila fed the children mostly mangoes, bananas and avocados. Ezra was also fed breast milk
Police believe this is due to the fact that the girl regularly visited her father in another state and was given a proper diet there.
The three children were fed a diet consisting mainly of mangoes, bananas, avocados and rambutans.
It is unclear if they have ever seen a doctor. Ezra was born at home and has never been to a doctor.
According to police, the toddler was suckling on the day of his death when he started struggling to breathe.
Instead of calling for help, his parents say they went to bed. By the time they woke up, he had completely stopped breathing.
Ryan O’Leary, the woman’s husband, was also charged with murder and manslaughter. He is awaiting trial