NASHUA, N.H. — The boyfriend of a slain 5-year-old boy’s mom was sentenced in New Hampshire on Thursday to 22 to 45 years in jail for manslaughter and different prices that he pleaded responsible to, practically a yr after the kid’s physique was present in a Massachusetts park.
Joseph Stapf, 31, had filed an intent to plead responsible earlier this month. He additionally admitted to second-degree assault, falsifying bodily proof and witness tampering in reference to Elijah Lewis’ demise.
Joseph Stapf, 31, is escorted right into a courtroom for a plea listening to in Hillsborough County Court docket, Thursday, Sept. 29, 2022, in Nashua, N.H. Charles Krupa/Related Press
The kid was found lacking and located lifeless final October. An post-mortem confirmed he suffered facial and scalp accidents, acute fentanyl intoxication, malnourishment and strain ulcers.
“I by no means needed any of this to occur to Elijah,” Stapf stated in courtroom as he broke into tears. “I want I may return and alter every thing.”
He added, “I cherished that boy. I’m so sorry for everyone who has to take care of this.”
Elijah’s father, who lives in Arizona, introduced Elijah to dwell with Stapf and the kid’s mom, Danielle Dauphinais, in Merrimack, New Hampshire, in Could 2020.
Prosecutors stated Elijah was starved, uncared for and bodily abused. They learn a sequence of texts between Stapf and Dauphinais that expressed hostility towards Elijah and frustration if he didn’t behave based on their needs.
Among the texts from Stapf to Dauphinais instructed her to provide Elijah extra meals to “fatten him up.”
When Elijah died and little one welfare staff began to analyze his disappearance, the couple put his physique in a container and introduced him to Ames Nowell State Park in Abington, Massachusetts, the place Stapf dug a gap and buried him, prosecutors stated.
Prosecutors stated that when Elijah was discovered final October, he was 36 inches tall and weighed 19 kilos, whereas a median 5-year-old boy can be 43 inches tall and nearer to 40 kilos.
Elijah’s father, Timothy Lewis, who was watching the listening to on-line, thanked regulation enforcement for serving to to pursue justice for his son. A lot of Merrimack officers and state police had been within the courtroom.
“You may have stepped as much as cease this at any level, had you been man sufficient,” Lewis stated to Stapf. “You may have introduced him residence to us at any level. You may have rushed him to the hospital at any level. He may nonetheless be there.”
When Elijah was nonetheless lacking, Stapf and Dauphinais had been arrested in New York on prices of witness tampering and little one endangerment. Days after their arrest, Elijah’s stays had been discovered.
Dauphinais, 36, was indicted earlier this yr on one rely of first-degree homicide alleging that she purposely precipitated her son’s demise, one rely of second-degree homicide alleging she acted recklessly in inflicting his demise, and three counts of witness tampering. She pleaded not responsible.
Stapf may obtain a number of years’ credit score if he completes a level and one other program. It’s attainable he may testify in opposition to Dauphinais, though that was not introduced up in courtroom Thursday.
“We look ahead to confronting Mr. Stapf on the applicable time,” Dauphinais’ legal professional, Jaye Rancourt, stated in an e-mail.
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