The heartbreaking case of a seven-year-old boy has taken a chilling turn, as it’s now believed he passed away weeks before anyone reported him missing.
The child, named Hershall Creachbaum, was a non-verbal boy who used a wheelchair and lived in Dayton, Ohio. Authorities have confirmed that two individuals are now facing criminal charges in connection with his death.
His mother, Ashley Johnson, is facing charges for failing to report a death and for obstructing justice. Meanwhile, Michael Kendrick has been charged with abuse and three separate counts related to tampering with evidence.
Kendrick, who is 38 years old, reportedly made a 911 call around 3:45 a.m. that morning. In the call, he claimed that Hershall had been kidnapped.
During a press briefing led by Chief Kamran Afzal of the Dayton Police Department, it was revealed that officials strongly believe the boy had already been dead for several weeks before anyone found him.
“In our line of work, unfortunately, we do see evil acts on routine basis.” the police chief stated while addressing the media. “This calendar shown in this situation towards this child is horrendous and truly evil.”
He added, “It was such a tragic thing; not that we don’t see tragedies all the time in Dayton, but when you have a non-verbal, autistic kid – somebody helpless, who should be taken care of and looked after.”
“The fact that he was deceased for several weeks, and we didn’t even get a call. We get a call in the manner that we get, which is, ‘hey, the the child was kidnapped’ – not that something tragic happened. ‘I’m just calling you, I finally have a clear conscience’.”
At the time of his disappearance, Hershall was living with his mother. However, it’s been noted that he had previously been in the care of his grandmother before returning to his mom’s custody.