Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy Cruz’ office says it has no plans to file charges against the mother of the 5-year-old New Hampshire boy whose body was found in a shallow grave off Chestnut Street.
“Massachusetts State Police assigned to our office responded to the scene in Abington and conducted an investigation,” Cruz’ office said in a statement. “Prosecutors assigned to our office additionally worked with the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and they indicted Dauphinais. We do not anticipate police seeking further charges in Massachusetts at this time.”
The New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office announced recently that Danielle Dauphinais had been indicted on one count of first-degree murder for the death of her son, Elijah Lewis; one count of second-degree murder for causing Lewis’ death “recklessly with extreme indifference to the value of human life,”; and three counts of tampering with witnesses. Prosecutors have not yet scheduled a formal arraignment date.
Lewis went missing and was killed sometime between September 27, 2020, and September 24, 2021, according to the indictment. The New Hampshire Division for Children, Youth and Families reported to authorities last October that Lewis hadn’t been seen in at least six months, but hadn’t been reported missing. Dauphinias and her boyfriend were arrested last October in New York City and charged with child endangerment and witness tampering. Following an investigation, law enforcement officials from Massachusetts and New Hampshire descended upon Chestnut Street in October searching for Lewis.
A New Hampshire state police dog trained to search for cadavers located the boy’s body on October 23 off Chestnut Street near Ames Nowell State Park. Investigators have declined to say exactly where Lewis was found.
The District Attorney office’s decision means that Lewis was likely killed in New Hampshire and then was transported and buried in Abington.