In a shocking turn of events, an Ohio woman and her boyfriend have been arrested in connection with the death of her 7-year-old son. The boy’s remains were found in close proximity to the woman’s home. The child, identified as Hershall Creachbaum, was reported missing by the mother’s boyfriend, 39-year-old Michael Kendrick, on a recent Saturday. However, within a short span of time, the remains of a child were discovered less than half a mile from the residence. The Dayton Police have stated that they believe the remains belong to Hershall.
Hershall, a nonverbal child who relied on a wheelchair due to autism, had reportedly not been seen for several weeks before his disappearance was reported. The investigation took a dark turn when it was revealed that Hershall had likely been dead for some time. According to court documents, Hershall’s mother, 36-year-old Ashley H. Johnson, informed the police that Hershall had died while she was in the hospital for surgery in late May.
Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal confirmed in a press conference that Hershall had not been seen for several weeks before his disappearance was reported by Kendrick. The police now suspect that Hershall was not missing, but had been dead. Court documents indicate that Johnson had left Hershall in Kendrick’s care while she was in the hospital.
Kendrick initially stated that Hershall had died of natural causes. However, he later allegedly admitted to physically assaulting the boy, leading to his death. Kendrick reportedly confessed to keeping Hershall’s body in the house until it began to decompose, after which he placed the remains in a freezer. He then allegedly disposed of the body near train tracks. Weeks later, he reportedly returned to the disposal site, placed Hershall’s remains in a bag, and left them at the location where they were later found.
Family members had reportedly been concerned about Hershall for months. After his paternal grandmother, who had custody of him, was injured in a car accident, Johnson regained custody. Chief Afzal confirmed that Montgomery County Children Services had been involved with the family and had taken custody of Hershall’s sister.
Neither Johnson nor Kendrick has been charged with murder. They are both being held at the Dayton County Jail. Johnson has been charged with failure to report a death and obstructing justice, with a bond set at $2,000. Kendrick faces three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of abuse of a corpse. Although jail records include charges of murder, child endangerment, and assault, he has not been formally charged with these offenses. He is being held without bond.