A Florida vegan mother has been found guilty of killing her 18-month-old son after feeding him only raw fruits and vegetables.
Sheila O’Leary, 39, faces up to life in prison after a jury convicted her Wednesday of killing her toddler Ezra O’Leary in 2019, the New York Post reported.
In September 2019, a week before the worst happened, Ezra wouldn’t eat anything, wouldn’t stop crying and practically wouldn’t sleep. However, his mother did not seek help. And when she finally did, the little boy was cold and not breathing. The little boy weighed just 7 kilograms – that’s seven kilograms below the average.
Sheila and her husband, Ryan O’Leary, told police that Ezra followed a strict vegan diet but was also still breastfed.
An autopsy found the little boy died of complications from malnutrition.
Prosecutors accused the mother of failing to seek proper medical attention for her son when she realized he was ill.
“She chose to ignore his cries. She didn’t need a scale to see that her child was skin and bones. She did something inhumane,” Assistant State’s Attorney Sarah Miller said during closing arguments.
The couple has three more children: 11, 5 and 3 years old. According to the medics, their condition is also serious. The court found Sheila guilty of six charges, for which she faced life in prison. Her husband is still awaiting trial.
