Sentenced: Mom's Boyfriend Fatally Shot Himself As Police Tried to Arrest Him For Murder Of 6YO Girl, Mom In Custody

[Sugar Cookie]

Columbus police say a man wanted in connection with the murder of a 6-year-old girl in April died by suicide Tuesday, May 6, when Knox County SWAT officers attempting to arrest him approached him outside a residence where he had been staying.

Blake Hutchinson, 24, was wanted on a warrant for murder and endangering children through child abuse in the April 13 death of 6-year-old Eva Bretz in the Strawberry Farms neighborhood, police said.

Hutchinson's girlfriend and Eva's mother, 32-year-old Ashley Fagan, was arrested without incident by Columbus police a day earlier on May 5 on similar murder and endangering children charges, police said.

At approximately 3:25 a.m. April 13, Columbus police responded and immediately began CPR on Eva Bretz. She was transported in critical condition with "significant internal and external injuries" to a local hospital by Clinton Township medics, police said.

Eva was pronounced dead several hours later at 10:14 a.m. Her death was determined to be a homicide and an investigation by Columbus police Homicide Unit led to the warrants filed against her mother and Hutchinson.

Based on information obtained during the Columbus police investigation, Knox County SWAT had the residence where Hutchinson emerged from under surveillance. When officers approached him he fatally shot himself.

Boyfriend wanted as second suspect in 6-year-old Columbus girl's death has died by suicide

A day after 6-yr-old Eva Bretz's mother's arrest for the girl's murder, her mother's boyfriend died by suicide as SWAT officers went to arrest him.

www.dispatch.com

James Hutchinson, Blake's father, spoke with WSYX before police confirmed Blake's death. He recounted what his son told him about the incident.

"He told me there was an accident that night and he said they had to call 911," he said. "He said him and his girlfriend had to do CPR and other than that there wasn't much. She had fell out of a tree earlier, a little bit earlier in the night."

Court documents, however, tell a different story, indicating that Eva suffered a severed liver, external bruising, ligature marks around the neck, rectal trauma, and bruising of the pubic bone. The coroner has ruled her death a homicide.


Franklin County Children Services had been involved with Eva and her family since her birth in March 2019 due to a positive drug test. A second report in December 2020 raised concerns about neglect, emotional maltreatment, and physical abuse. Both cases were closed after it was determined that Eva was safe following meetings with caseworkers.

6-year-old girl's death in Columbus ruled homicide; mother charged, boyfriend dead

The death of 6-year-old Eva Bretz in northeast Columbus is being investigated as a homicide, with her mother, Ashley Fagan, and her mother's boyfriend, Blake Hu

abc6onyourside.com

 

[Special K]

She seems sad in her photo. I wonder what the poor little girl had seen and been through

 

[Sugar Cookie]

Eva Bretz

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A 32-year-old mother in Ohio is facing decades behind bars for allegedly beating and strangling her 6-year-old daughter for weeks, ultimately killing the child in horrific fashion. Ashley Fagan was taken into custody and charged with on one count each of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and obstructing justice in connection with the slaying of young Eva Bretz, records show.

Fagan is also facing two counts each of permitting child abuse and endangering children in connection with a 1-year-old child who was the victim of “serious physical harm” between November and December 2023.

Eva was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition. Per the report, the child was suffering from internal injuries — including a severed liver — and external injuries — including ligature marks around her neck — that doctors deemed to be life-threatening.

A copy of the coroner’s report obtained by The Columbus Dispatch provided additional details about Eva’s death, reportedly concluding that the 6-year-old was likely subjected to severe physical abuse for several weeks or even months before she ultimately died. Tests showed that the child also had fentanyl in her system and was the victim of sexual assault prior to her death.

In addition to the severed liver, Eva also sustained blunt force trauma to her abdomen. She had multiple fractures to her ribs and pelvis that were in different stages of healing, a telltale sign of ongoing abuse, police said.

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Mom's 'corporal punishment' severed 6-year-old's liver, ultimately killing child: Police

Ashley Fagan allegedly beat and strangled her 6-year-old daughter over the course of weeks in Ohio, ultimately killing the child in horrific fashion.

lawandcrime.com

 

[Turd Fergusen]

"Fell out of a tree". Seriously??

 

[Sugar Cookie]

A Columbus woman was sentenced to at least 18 years in prison Friday for the death of her 6-year-old daughter.

Ashley Fagan, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of endangering children, two counts of permitting child abuse and one count of obstructing justice. One count of murder filed against her was dismissed.

A Franklin County judge sentenced Fagan to 18 to 23.5 years in the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in the death of Eva Bretz.

MSN