Prosecutor: Neglect was 'purposeful, systematic'

While the life of a 5-year-old girl was lost Tuesday night, Port Huron Public Safety Chief Michael Reaves said another was saved.

"I'm a firm believer we had one tragic homicide and we prevented another," Reaves said. He said it is one of the worst cases he'd seen in his 37 years in law enforcement.

A 3-year-old Port Huron girl remains in a Detroit hospital after being discovered in her Port Huron home with her deceased 5-year-old sister and two other children.

Officials said the girl weighed just 17 pounds. On average, a 3-year-old girl weighs 32 pounds or more.

Her father, Andrew Maison, and stepmother, Hilery Maison, are facing charges of open murder, two counts of torture and two counts of first-degree child abuse.

The murder charge, and one count of torture and child abuse, are in relation to Mackenzie Maison. The 5-year-old girl could not be revived when rescue crews were called to their Oak Street home Tuesday night.

Mackenzie was found malnourished, weighing just 25 pounds, with bruises, a severe infection and pneumonia. On average, 5-year-old girls weigh 40 pounds or more.

Mackenzie was, "Severely malnourished, she suffered profound medical trauma as a result of neglect that showed weeks if not months of neglect and I'd would suggest purposeful withholding of nourishment as well as any medical attention she may have needed," said Senior Assistant Prosecutor Mona Armstrong.

She was rushed to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Armstrong said during the arraignment of Mackenzie's father and stepmother Friday that it is believed the little girl was dead before anyone called 911. Police said rescue crews were called to the home at 829 Oak St. to a report of an unresponsive child Tuesday night.

The second counts of torture and first-degree child abuse are for the alleged treatment of Mackenzie's younger sister.

Armstrong said the 3-year-old's conditions were life threatening when she was hospitalized, and the alleged neglect of both girls was done in a "purposeful, systematic manner."

Two other children found in the home Tuesday have been placed in foster care.

Armstrong said those children, who are Hilery's offspring, did not show the same neglect as Mackenzie and her sister, who are Andrew's biological daughters.

Bond was denied, so Hilery and Andrew Maison will remain in jail until their probable cause hearings June 9. The couple were arraigned separately Friday by video feed.

"I would like to fight with this, there is no truths in most of what was said," Hilery Maison, 27, told District Judge Michael Hulewicz. "I've given the detectives everything, every detail of what happened that day, there was no intention on any of this."

Andrew Maison, 25, remained mostly quiet during his arraignment.

Bond was denied for Andrew and Hilery Maison.

A handful of people seated in the courtroom declined to speak about the case.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services investigated 1,503 cases of suspected child abuse and neglect in St. Clair County in fiscal year 2014, which ended Sept. 30. Of those reported, abuse and or neglect was found in 304 cases, Bob Wheaton, DHHS spokesman said in an email.

This is not the first case where child abuse or neglect was believed to be a factor in a child's death in the Blue Water Area.

In 2010, 3-year-old Prhaze Galvan of Kimball Township died of blunt force head trauma.

Her father, Joe Galvan, and stepmother, Jennifer Galvan were found guilty of felony murder, first-degree child abuse and torture. Both are serving life sentences in prison.

In 2011, Scott Syzak was sentenced to life in prison in the 1995 murder of his infant daughter, Jessica Syzak. The child died of severe head trauma in their Port Huron home.

John William Gonzales was sent to life in 2008 after being convicted of felony murder and first-degree child abuse in the 2005 death of his 18-month-old son, Braylon. The boy died from severe head trauma.

Braylon's mother, Ashley Snowden, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter, accessory after the fact and second-degree child abuse and was sentenced to five to 15 years in prison. She testified against Gonzales at his trial.

In 2000, Ariana Swinson, 2, was fatally beaten and drowned in Port Huron Township. Her parents, Edward Swinson and Linda Sue Paling, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and first-degree child abuse. Both were sentenced to a minimum of 30 years in prison.

Contact Liz Shepard at (810) 989-6273 or lshepard@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @lvshepard. Follow court coverage @THCourtCoverage.