An Ohio woman and her partner have been apprehended in relation to the death of her 7-year-old son, whose remains were discovered near her residence. The child, Hershall Creachbaum, was reported missing by his mother’s boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, 39, on Saturday. However, within hours, the remains of a child were found less than half a mile from the home. Dayton Police have expressed their belief that the remains are those of Hershall.
The boy, who was nonverbal and relied on a wheelchair due to autism, was reportedly not seen for several weeks prior to the report of his disappearance. The investigation into his alleged abduction took a grim turn when it was revealed that Hershall had likely been deceased for some time. His mother, Ashley H. Johnson, 36, reportedly informed the police that Hershall had passed away while she was in the hospital for surgery in late May, as per court documents.
Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal confirmed in a press conference on Monday that Hershall had not been seen for several weeks before Kendrick reported him missing. The police now believe that Hershall was never missing, but had been dead all along. Court documents reveal that Johnson had left Hershall in Kendrick’s care while she was in the hospital.
Kendrick initially claimed that Hershall had died of natural causes. However, he later allegedly confessed to physically assaulting the boy, which led to his death. Kendrick reportedly admitted 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 worried 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.