COLDWATER, MI (WTVB) – In a major escalation of a disturbing child abuse case, the Branch County Prosecutor’s Office announced Wednesday that they plan to file new first-degree child abuse charges against a Quincy couple, charges that each carry a potential life in prison.
Branch County Prosecutor Zack Stempien revealed the upcoming additions during a court appearance for 34-year-old Matthew Boatrite, a former reserve officer with the Quincy Police Department, and his wife, 32-year-old Cassandra Boatrite, a former school bus driver for Quincy Community Schools. The couple appeared before District Judge Brent Weigle as their public defenders sought additional time to prepare for a preliminary hearing.
According to Stempien, the new charges, four counts of first-degree child abuse, stem from the same ongoing investigation into the alleged prolonged and severe abuse of the couple’s seven biological and foster children. First-degree child abuse in Michigan is a life felony when the abuse causes serious physical harm or involves extreme cruelty.
The prosecutor described the alleged actions as “monstrous” and indicated the upgraded charges would be formally added by the end of the week. This comes roughly one month after the couple’s initial December 2025 arraignment, where they faced dozens of felony and misdemeanor counts, including multiple counts of second-degree child abuse (10-year felonies), strangulation, assault with a weapon, and domestic violence.
Previous allegations detailed the children being forced to drink dish soap until they became ill, choked, struck with boards and belts, handcuffed for extended periods, and subjected to other forms of physical punishment characterized as “cruel and unusual.”
All seven children have been removed from the home and are receiving protective services through Michigan Child Protective Services (CPS) and state authorities. The joint probe by CPS and Michigan State Police led to the initial arrests in mid-December 2025.
Stempien emphasized the severity of the allegations, noting that the pattern of abuse appears to be among the most prolonged and serious he has encountered in his career. If convicted on the new first-degree charges, the Boatrites could face life imprisonment.
Both defendants remain held on $200,000 bond each, with strict no-contact orders prohibiting any interaction with the victims or unsupervised contact with minors.
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