A man charged with the death of a toddler in 2018 pleaded guilty to lesser charges Monday, June 15 but will take the murder charge against him to trial.
Maurice Houle, 29, agreed to plea guilty to one count of resisting a police officer causing injury and two counts of resisting or obstructing officers, despite the lack of any plea deal offered by the prosecution.
The primary charge against Houle, felony murder, remains unresolved, meaning a trial set to begin Tuesday June 23 is now expected to move forward.
The charges against Houle were filed after an interrogation of Houle in April 2025 in which he reportedly struggled with officers when they attempted to arrest him for the death of Matthew Maison, Houle’s ex-girlfriend’s 3-year-old son.
Amanda Maison, Matthew’s mother and Houle’s ex, was also charged and arrested and has since pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. As part of her plea deal Amanda Maison agreed to testify against Houle if his case should go to trial. She has not yet been sentenced.
Matthew Maison was found dead in his bed in Port Huron Township on Feb. 19, 2018. Several injuries were found on his body after his death, including bruises on his chest, cuts on his head and blunt impact injuries to his extremities. An autopsy report released in 2021 attributed his death to “blunt traumatic injuries with features of mechanical asphyxiation.”
The St. Clair County Prosecutor’s Office accused Amanda Maison of covering up abuse by Houle. Matthew Maison’s grandparents have said they were concerned he was malnourished and not receiving proper care.
During her guilty plea, Amanda Maison said she witnessed Houle abuse Matthew multiple times and that after his death Houle asked her to “take the fall.”
In the eight years since Matthew Maison’s death, Houle has maintained his innocence. For years after Matthew Maison was found in his bed, no arrest was made until the interrogation in April 2025, despite calls from Matthew’s grandparents for charges.
Because Houle is charged with felony murder, the prosecution does not have to provide proof of intent or premeditation as it would in a first-degree murder case. Instead the prosecution has to prove the defendant or an accomplice caused the death in the commission of a felony.
The trial is set to begin at 9 a.m. June 23. Houle faces up to life in prison if convicted. No sentencing has been scheduled for the counts he pleaded guilty to, pending the results of the trial.
Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Man accused in death of 3-year-old Matthew Maison heading to trial
Reporting by Johnathan Hogan, Port Huron Times Herald / Port Huron Times Herald
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By Johnathan Hogan, Port Huron Times Herald | USA TODAY Network
