A Texas mother is sentenced to life imprisonment after beating her child to death.
Elijah, a 2-year-old boy whose life tragically ended in February 2020, reveals a troubling cycle of abuse that has led to his mother, Samantha Dawn Mathis, and her boyfriend, Robert Garza, facing life imprisonment.
According to an article published by Law and Crime, a 29-year-old Texas mother, Samantha Dawn Mathis, has confessed to brutally murdering her 2-year-old son, Elijah Lebario, by beating him to death. The Hockley County District Court Judge, J. Pat Phelan, sentenced her to life imprisonment after she pleaded guilty to the murder of her child under the age of 10.
This tragic incident occurred in 2020. Samantha Dawn Mathis, who brutally killed her 2-year-old son, has admitted to additional charges.
Besides murder, she pleaded guilty to felony injury to a child and received a 10-year prison sentence, to be served consecutively after her first life imprisonment. She was also fined $10,000.
Originally facing a capital murder charge, Mathis reached a plea agreement with prosecutors and will now serve life imprisonment. The District Attorney praised the sentencing, emphasizing the seriousness of the crimes.
Mathis’ former boyfriend, Robert Garza Jr., was also charged with capital murder for the same incident and awaits trial after pleading not guilty.
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Mathis’ life imprisonment for brutally murdering her 2-year-old son sends a powerful message about the consequences of such heinous actions.
According to an article published by Yahoo News, both Mathis and her former boyfriend, Robert Garza Jr., are charged with intentionally or knowingly causing the death of Mathis’ son, Elijah Lebario, leading to life imprisonment. The indictment outlines that the alleged actions involved striking the child with various objects, causing him to collide with surfaces, or shaking him, leading to his tragic passing.
Both Mathis and her former boyfriend, Robert Garza Jr., are additionally charged with intentional injury to a child for causing harm to the victim’s 4-year-old sibling during the investigation of the toddler’s murder.
Mathis was apprehended by Levelland police on February 4, 2020, when her son was admitted to Levelland Covenant Hospital in an unresponsive state. The child exhibited widespread bruising and an abnormally low internal temperature of 81 degrees, as reported in a Levelland police press release.
Due to the seriousness of their alleged crimes, Mathis and Garza will face life imprisonment.
The hospital staff suspected physical abuse and quickly contacted the police. Despite being transferred to the University Medical Center in Lubbock for specialized treatment, Elijah tragically passed away during surgery, resulting in Mathis and Garza each facing life imprisonment.
The hospital staff suspected physical abuse and quickly contacted the police. Despite being transferred to the University Medical Center in Lubbock for specialized treatment, Elijah tragically passed away during surgery.
Investigations revealed that Elijah had suffered regular physical abuse from his mother, Samantha Dawn Mathis, and her boyfriend, Robert Garza, who had been dating for six months. Both Mathis and Garza were found to have caused Elijah’s fatal injuries through striking, shaking, and other forms of abuse, sealing their own fates to life imprisonment behind bars.
Mathis was arrested following Elijah’s death, and Garza was apprehended without incident at a different location. Both were indicted for “knowingly” causing Elijah’s death through various forms of physical abuse, potentially leading to their own life imprisonment. Garza’s capital murder trial is scheduled for February 2024.