Cape mother sentenced to life in prison for baby’s starvation-related death
A Cape Coral mother found guilty in the starvation-related death of her 18-month-old son has been sentenced to life in prison for first degree murder.
Sheila O’Leary, 38, was also sentenced today to 30 years in prison for aggravated child abuse and 30 years in prison for aggravated manslaughter of a child. She was sentenced to five years in prison on two counts of child neglect and one count of child abuse.
The sentences are to be served concurrently.
She was also ordered to have no contact with her children, also victims of what investigators said was extreme neglect and child abuse.
O’Leary, told investigators called to the family home she also shared with husband and co-defendant Ryan Patrick O’Leary, 33, that the family followed a vegan diet.
The baby died on Sept. 27, 2019. Evidence presented at trial showed the boy died due to complications from severe malnutrition and dehydration. There were three other victims — a 3-year-old and 5-year-old boy, and an 11-year-old girl — who also suffered from extreme neglect and child abuse.
The O’Learys told officials called to their home when it appeared the baby had stopped breathing that the family was vegan and only ate fruits and vegetables, and that the children only ate raw foods, nothing cooked, according to the initial Cape Coral Police Department report.
Sheila O’Leary told police that the children’s diets then consisted mostly of mangoes, rambutans, bananas and avocados, the arrest report states.
Sheila had called 911 and then had met Lee County Emergency Services at the door of the couple’s Cape Coral home and handed the baby to the paramedics.
The child was pronounced dead at the home after an examination.
Sheila told a detective that the child had not been feeling well for the past week, had not eaten for a week, and was only being breastfed. She and Ryan believed this was due to the child teething, according to the report.
Sheila told police that the last time the child had had anything to drink was about 4 a.m. that morning, and she noticed he had shallow breathing when nursing him. She also told police that the child had never done that before, and that she should have called someone because she was worried.
Sheila said that when she awoke to her husband getting ready for work, she noticed the baby was not breathing and was cold. Ryan said he heard her scream, and tried to resuscitate the boy while Sheila called 911. The child had been born at their home, and never had been to a doctor before, which was a preference of the parents, according to Sheila’s statement to police.
The report stated that the child appeared “extremely malnourished” with his feet and hands swollen but no apparent injuries were visible.
Of the three other children residing in the home, two also appeared malnourished. One sibling, the oldest, appeared healthier than the others, which detectives speculated could be because she visited her father in Virginia every two months for a few weeks at a time. The other two children were “extremely small for their age and were a pale, yellowish color.”
A medical exam determined that both children were underweight and undersized for their age. The third child was listed as in the healthy range.
Assistant State Attorney Francine Donnorummo, Special Victims Unit Chief, and Assistant State Attorney Sara Miller, of the State Attorney’s Office Homicide Unit, prosecuted the case.
The Cape Coral Police Department investigated the case with the assistance of the Children’s Advocacy Center.
Ryan O’Leary remained in the Lee County Jail on Monday where he was being held without bond on charges of first degree murder, aggravated child abuse, aggravated manslaughter of a child, child neglect and child abuse.
Ryan O’Leary also has been charged with sexual assault by a person older than 18 years of age, victim under 12 and lewd lascivious behavior – molest victim less than 12 years of age by a person age 18 or older.