The mother of a 5-year-old New Hampshire boy whose body was found buried in woods last year has been charged with murder, the state attorney general announced Monday.
Danielle Dauphinais had been charged with witness tampering and child endangerment after the body of Elijah Lewis was found in Massachusetts in October.
A grand jury indicted Dauphinais, 35, on Friday on one count each of first-degree murder and second-degree murder and three counts of tampering with witnesses, Attorney General John M. Formella said.
Elijah, of Merrimack, was reported missing Oct. 14 by the state Division for Children, Youth and Families. His body was found buried in Abington, south of Boston, nine days later.
His cause of death was later ruled to be violence and neglect, including injuries, acute fentanyl intoxication and malnourishment. The manner was determined to be homicide.
Dauphinais is being held without bail. An e-mailed message left for her attorney through her law firm after hours Monday night was not immediately returned.
The witness tampering charges deal with allegations that Dauphinais told others to say Elijah was with them or not to speak with the child services officials, according to the indictment.
The murder counts allege that she caused the boy’s death purposely or through recklessness.
