Front Page Detectives
BREAKING NEWS

When Her Toddler Died, She Said They Followed A Strict Vegan Diet. Police Said The Child Was Starved To Death.

lee county sheriffs
Source: MEGA; Lee County Sheriff's Office

Sep. 15 2022, Published 8:56 a.m. ET

Link to FacebookShare to XShare to Email

A woman told police the family followed a strict vegan diet when her 18-month-old child. But investigators said he was starved to death.

Now, she will never hurt another child.

Article continues below advertisement

Recently, a judge in Florida sentenced Sheila O’Leary, 38, to life in prison for the killing of Ezra O’Leary, according to the Associated Press. She was convicted of murder and other charges for the toddler’s death.

Her husband, Ryan Patrick O’Leary, remains in jail and awaits trial, according to the AP.

Article continues below advertisement

The couple had two other children who were also found malnourished, according to the AP. A fourth child was turned her biological father during an earlier malnutrition case.

On Sept. 17, 2019, Ezra was found dead. The O’Learys told police that the family followed a strict vegan diet, eating only raw fruits and vegetables, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. Though, they said the toddler was also breast fed milk.

Article continues below advertisement

The couple said that Ezra hadn’t eaten in the week before his death and had trouble sleeping, according to the News-Press.

MORE ON:
child killed

However, investigators determined the 18-month-old weighed only 17 pounds when he died and was the size of a 7-month-old baby.

Prosecutors depicted a case of long-standing neglect that the child faced.

Article continues below advertisement

“This child did not eat. He was starved to death over 18 months," Francine Donnorummo, Special Victims Unit chief at the State Attorney's Office, said during closing arguments in June, according to the News-Press.

Prosecutors also said that Sheila O’Leary did a series of google searches as the baby’s health declined. They said the mom failed to provide the child with health care and food.

Article continues below advertisement

"This was a thought-out, planned course of action,” Donnorummo said, the News-Press reported.

However, defense attorney Lee Hollander said they plan to appeal the conviction and sentence, according to the News-Press. He said the eldest child testified remotely in violation of Sheila O’Leary’s right to confront her accuser.

He added they were not surprised by the sentence.

“It was what we were expecting,” Hollander said, according to the News-Press.

Advertisement

Become a Front Page Detective

Sign up to receive breaking
Front Page Detectives
news and exclusive investigations.

More Stories

Opt-out of personalized ads

© Copyright 2024 FRONT PAGE DETECTIVES™️. A DIVISION OF EMPIRE MEDIA GROUP INC. FRONT PAGE DETECTIVES is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service, Privacy Policy and Cookies Policy. People may receive compensation for some links to products and services. Offers may be subject to change without notice.