Michigan Mom Let Son Die From Treatable Cancer, Gets Life Behind Bars

Most people take parenting seriously. But as sickening as it is, this Mid-Michigan woman literally let her son die. The Lapeer County mother will now spend the rest of her life behind bars after a case that is honestly hard to even wrap your head around.

Michigan Mother Sentenced in Lapeer County Cancer Death

WJRT reports that Elizabeth Dubois was sentenced to life in prison without parole after being convicted of felony murder in the death of her own teenage son. And when you hear what happened here, it is just heartbreaking.

READ MORE: Michigan Man Accused of Fathering His Teenager's Baby

Her son Austin did not die in some sudden accident. He did not pass from something that could not be stopped. Prosecutors say he had a rare form of throat cancer, something that actually showed visible warning signs. We are talking about a noticeable lump on his neck that family members saw and begged her to get checked out. But according to investigators, that help never came.

Prosecutors Say Teen’s Cancer Was Treatable

The prosecutor, John Miller, said those pleas went on for years. Years. And instead of getting him medical care, Dubois allegedly made excuses, claiming she did not have time and did not have money. Meanwhile, Austin’s condition kept getting worse.

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By the time he died in 2019, he weighed just 83 pounds. What makes this even more difficult to hear is what doctors later said. After reviewing thousands of pages of records and consulting with specialists, including experts from the University of Michigan Medical Center, they determined this cancer was not only treatable, but possibly curable if it had been caught early. Which means this did not have to happen.

Jury Delivers Guilty Verdict After Emotional Trial

A jury found Dubois guilty after a two-week trial. When she asked the judge, Michael Nolan, to throw out the verdict, he denied it and handed down the mandatory life sentence. She does have the right to appeal. But at the end of the day, it does not change what happened to her son.