FORT MYERS, Fla.—A vegan woman convicted of murder in the malnutrition death of her young son was sentenced Monday to life in prison.
Sheila O’Leary, 38, whose family followed a strict vegan diet, was convicted in June on six charges—first-degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter, child abuse, and two counts of child neglect—in the death of Ezra O’Leary. Her sentencing in Lee County, Florida, had previously been postponed four times.
Sheila O’Leary stands and listens during her trial in Fort Myers, Fla., on June 28, 2022. (Andrea Melendez/The News-Press via AP)
Her husband, Ryan Patrick O’Leary, remains in jail while awaiting trial on the same charges. Investigators said the couple told them the family ate only raw fruits and vegetables, although the toddler also was fed breast milk. The 18-month-old boy weighed 17 pounds and was the size of a 7-month-old baby when he died in September 2019, a police report said….