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Vegan Mom Gets Life in Prison After Her Baby Starved to Death

The 18-month-old, who was only eating breast milk and raw fruits and vegetables, was extremely malnourished, investigators found.

A vegan mother in Florida who imposed the strict diet on her 18-month-old son, Ezra, has been convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison for the child’s starvation death in 2019. On Monday, the Florida State Attorney’s office announced that Sheila O’Leary, was sentenced to life for Ezra’s severe malnutrition and dehydration: 30 years for aggravated child abuse, 30 years for aggravated manslaughter of a child, and five years for child abuse and neglect. The child’s father, Ryan O’Leary, is facing the same charges, as well as two molestation charges, and awaits his trial in jail. The parents reported that their family only ate raw fruits and vegetables, and their other children, a 3-year-old, 5-year-old, and 11-year-old, were also found to be malnourished.