Two people have been arrested over the disappearance of a seven-year-old boy with disabilities, who was reported kidnapped, but instead police say he was beaten to death and hidden for weeks.
The remains of Hershall Creachbaum, who was non-verbal and autistic, were found following an investigation just a few blocks away from his home in Dayton, Ohio.
His mother Ashley Johnson, 36, and her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, 39, called 911 to report him missing on July 12, but were later arrested and charged, according to Dayton police chief Kamran Afzal said Monday.
Kendrick has been charged with tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse, while Johnson is charged with obstructing justice and failure to report death.
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Afzal told reporters that other charges may be brought depending on forensic examination of the boy’s remains.
Though Afzal did not elaborate further on details of the case at the briefing, court records obtained by The News and Observer, provided insight into the tragic events.
According to the outlet, Kendrick told police he believed Hershall was kidnapped from the front porch by an unknown man, though this was contradicted by Johnson, who said her son had died in late May.
Kendrick had initially told her Creachbaum had died of natural causes, according to the affidavit, though he later admitted he had punched the boy twice after drinking and that he had died the next day while in the shower.
Kendrick kept the body in the home initially, before transferring it to a freezer. He later took the boy’s body and dumped the remains in a grassy field, returning a few weeks later and moving the remains to the place they were ultimately found, according to the affidavit.
“The callousness shown in this situation towards this child is horrendous and truly evil,” Azfal said Monday, adding: “We can’t bring Hershall back but at least we can bring justice to Hershall,” Afzal said.
In a post on Facebook, the United Rehabilitation Services wrote that Creachbaum was “a child who should’ve been safe.
“His death is heartbreaking—and a painful reminder that children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our communities,” the post read. “His life mattered. And we must all do better.
“Every child and adult with a disability deserves to be safe, valued, and treated with dignity. Our hearts are with all who are grieving this unimaginable loss.”
