A 3-year-old died six years ago. Here's what a police report says about the investigation.

On Feb. 18, 2018, 3-year-old Matthew Maison followed his regular bedtime routine.

Matthew's mother, Amanda Maison, told him it was time for sleep around 9:30 p.m. and he took one more bathroom break before heading to his room. According to what his mother told investigators, he put on his pajamas and was allowed to choose one toy to take to bed with him. That Sunday night he chose a stuffed Mickey Mouse.

What happened between then and 8:30 a.m. the next day at Matthew's home in Port Huron Township has been the matter of an ongoing investigation.

Six years after Matthew was found dead in his bed, there have been no arrests and no charges, despite an autopsy report concluding in 2021 the death was ruled a homicide.

St. Clair County Sheriff Mat King said the investigation is ongoing, but could not say whether a primary suspect has been identified or what detectives need after six years to move forward with an arrest or prosecution.

More: 3-year-old Matthew Maison died 2 years ago. Here is what we do and don't know.

The Times Herald requested copies of the autopsy report and police reports on the case through the Freedom of Information Act to see where the case stands.

The documents include notes on interviews detectives performed with Matthew's mother, her boyfriend Maurice Houle, and Houle's parents, who found Matthew dead in his bed.

Most notably, the autopsy report, signed by Dr. Daniel Spitz, states Matthew's death was a homicide caused by "blunt traumatic injuries with features of mechanical asphyxiation."

"It is my opinion that Matthew Maison died secondary to blunt traumatic injuries with features of asphyxiation," Spitz wrote in the autopsy report. "The extent, severity and distribution of the traumatic injuries is indicative of inflicted trauma."

As the police report notes multiple times, there was nothing normal about Matthew's death.

"(B)ecause this is an unexpected death and a 3-year-old child, normally healthy, does not just die... we will continue to investigate this to see what may have actually happened," Detective Steve Surman at the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office wrote in the investigation report.

According to the report, Amanda and Houle would both leave for work before Matthew and his younger brother would wake up. Houle's mother would arrive at the residence to take care of the kids and get them ready for the day. Though they weren't biologically related, Matthew took to calling her "grandma," and her husband "grandpa." His biological father was reportedly not involved in his life, according to police records.

When Matthew didn't respond to his grandmother's efforts to wake him up or come running out for his usual morning bathroom break the morning of Feb. 19, 2018, she went in to check on him. She quickly yelled to her husband that he was cold to touch and they called 911.

Over the next several days, investigators questioned Matthew's family to get a better understanding not only of his death, but also his home life leading up to that day. They asked what he had eaten the night before (chicken nuggets and apple juice), and his development (Matthew was behind other children on milestones such as vocabulary and communication skills).

Detectives questioned the family about a black eye Matthew had at the time of his death. Both Amanda and Houle said they had no idea how it happened, though Houle said a previous black eye had been caused when Matthew was playing and hit his face on a dresser.

The autopsy report indicates there were other injuries found on Matthew's body after his death: bruising on his chest, cuts on his head and blunt impact injuries to his extremities.

Child Protective Services had also investigated the family after an incident in which Amanda reported Houle for hitting Matthew in the head. She later said she "misinterpreted" the incident.

Houle had also been reported to Child Protective Services for reportedly hitting a child with a mallet, though his parents told police the accusation was untrue. It's unclear who the alleged victim was due to redactions in the police report.

The Times Herald was unable to reach Amanda Maison or Maurice Houle for comment on this story.

Ongoing advocacy

David and Amy Maison, Matthew's maternal grandfather and step-grandmother, remember hearing about their grandson's death in 2018. When a police officer arrived at her home to inform her, she said, "Not my baby, they killed him." That was before any mention of a criminal investigation.

The couple had long been concerned about Matthew's health. Amy and David said they would see bruises on Matthew when he visited, and were often told they were the result of a fall.

Amy said she would hear weekly from a detective about the investigation in the first year after Matthew's death, then biweekly during the second year. After that, communication decreased and it wasn't until 2023 she and David learned Matthew's death had been ruled a homicide.

Since then, the couple have been advocating for the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office to file a criminal case.

"It's been hell," Amy said, tired of waiting for a case to be filed.

It's a hell the couple are all too familiar with. Amy and David had just begun dating when another one of their grandchildren, Mackenzie Maison, died in an abusive household.

More: Hilery and Andrew Maison guilty as charged in the death of 5-year-old Mackenzie Maison

David's son, Andrew Maison, was convicted along with his wife for murder after Mackenzie died from malnutrition, weighing just 25 pounds at 5 years old.

David said he spoke up then as well, but felt ignored by Child Protective Services when he reported his concerns about his grandchildren's care. He said after Mackenzie's death he was given a number to call if a similar situation ever arose, but that when he called that number for Matthew the agency put Matthew back into the house with his mother and her boyfriend.

"We did what we were told to do," David said. "The blood is on their hands."

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released a statement when asked about the deaths of Mackenzie and Matthew.

"The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) extends our deepest sympathies to the family of Matthew Maison and appreciates their advocacy for protecting children," Lynn Sutfin, public information officer for the department, said in an email. "No family should have to go through the tragedy of losing a child. While the department cannot discuss specifics of this case, MDHHS staff work around the clock to take actions to keep kids safe and provide services to families so they can stay together whenever that’s safe. We hope the family gets the justice they deserve and is able to find some resolution to this heartbreaking loss."

The couple have since been working with Rita Williams, who has helped the family manage a social media page and arrange events to pressure the St. Clair County Prosecutor's Office to move forward with a criminal prosecution for Matthew's death.

"Mike Wendling has a responsibility to charge this case," Williams said. "There should be enough to try this case and win."

Wendling confirmed the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office had submitted a case for review, but that his office concluded it needed further investigation before they could take it to court.

"Based upon what they submitted at the time, we did not feel the evidence was strong enough to move forward with a case against any one person," Wendling said.

Wendling said he would move forward with a case once the St. Clair County Sheriff's Office submitted an investigation and they felt it met the standards for prosecution.

Davis and Amy Maison are planning a protest for April 6 at Pine Grove Park.

Contact Johnathan Hogan at jhogan@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Port Huron Times Herald: Police records reveal new details on Matthew Maison death investigation