A Michigan mother has been sentenced to life in prison without parole for felony murder and child abuse after refusing medical treatment for her teenage son's treatable cancer, which led to his death. Elizabeth Dubois ignored her son Austin Raymond's pleas as his condition worsened over years. Lapeer County Circuit Court Judge Michael Nolan imposed the sentence on Monday.
Elizabeth A. Dubois, 43, of Michigan, received a life sentence without the possibility of parole on Monday from Lapeer County Circuit Court Judge Michael Nolan. The ruling followed a January jury conviction on one count of felony murder and one count of first-degree child abuse in the 2019 death of her son, Austin Raymond, then 19. An additional 15 to 25 years for child abuse will run concurrently with the mandatory life term for murder, court records indicate. Nolan also denied a defense motion to set aside the verdict, though Dubois may appeal. Austin Raymond first noticed throat issues in July 2016, developing a visible neck lump and struggles with eating and speaking. By November, he could no longer eat solid food and repeatedly begged his mother for help, but Dubois insisted he 'was fine,' according to trial testimony. Despite a Child Protective Services investigation and directives to seek care, it was Raymond's stepfather and relatives who eventually took him to doctors. He was diagnosed with chordoma, a rare malignant bone cancer prosecutors described as treatable—and potentially curable—if addressed promptly. Lapeer County Prosecutor John Miller called the neglect 'intentional' and 'egregious,' citing Dubois's excuses like lack of time and money. Raymond, who had testified against his mother, died in May 2019 weighing just 83 pounds from cancer complications. The case drew attention for highlighting failures in addressing visible child suffering.