Milwaukee Mother Who Allegedly Burnt, Killed 4-Year-Old Son, Could Face Life Imprisonment

A Milwaukee woman has been accused of murdering her 4-year-old son suffering from autism after allegedly binding the child in belts and then setting him on fire in a bathtub in their apartment, according to court documents, reports said Thursday.

Amelia Di Stasio, 23, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide in the killing of her only child Antonio Di Stasio. She has been in jail with bail set at $400,000.

According to a criminal complaint, obtained The CW affiliate KTLA sister station WITI in Milwaukee, authorities were informed about smoke at Di Stasio's south side apartment last week and firefighters found her son Antonio's burned and lifeless body, with his hands tied behind his back with several belts and a garbage bag over his head in a bathtub on the morning of Sept. 28. An open bottle of cooking oil was also discovered in the bathroom.

"The majority of his body was burned," the complaint stated.

A neighbor reportedly told the police that she heard the boy yell, "Please mommy stop. I won't do it again." The witness said she further recalled hearing Di Stasio yell at her child, "Shut up," the complaint said.

Before authorities and fire trucks arrived at the scene, another witness told the police that she saw Di Stasio climbing out of her apartment window and trying to escape. The mother was eventually found and taken into custody by the police.

The complaint also indicated that police found Di Stasio's cellphone, which had a search enquiry that disclosed she had looked up "how to kill a cannibal" on Sept. 28, and that she had also visited a message board dedicated to an online game called a "horror survival game" in which players have to fight cannibals. The message board "detailed the ways to kill cannibals within the game," and provided a recommendation to "kill it with fire." It also explained how, in the game, cannibals "like to bathe in oil."

Police arrested Di Stasio later in the day on Sept. 28 after a local resident called them and reported seeing her crying at the bus stop.

"I did something really bad, I need to talk to a pastor," Di Stasio told the man, according to the complaint.

An autopsy on the child found seven belts were used to bind Antonio's hands and arms. The autopsy also revealed "significant charring" to his skin and thermal injuries "to the majority of his body." His death has been ruled a homicide. If convicted, his mother could face life imprisonment.

Her father, Ralph Di Stasio, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that his daughter had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder and that his deceased grandson was autistic.

"When his mother put him in timeout, he’d scream and that would last for two to five minutes and then he’d calm down and he’d go to timeout," he explained.

The suspect's older brother and sister have expressed grief after the loss of their nephew but they have been shocked as to what their sister has been accused of.

"I love my sister regardless, and I know she was sick. I want to tell her I'm angry. I'm very upset with her," Eva Allen, the suspect's sister, told NBC affiliate WTMJ.

"I never think she could do some stuff like that," said Anthony Bardwell, the suspect's brother.