Background: News footage of the scene in Dayton, Ohio, where the remains of Hershall Creachbaum were found (WHIO). Insets (left to right): Hershall Creachbaum, Ashley H. Johnson, and Michael Kendrick (Dayton Police Department).
A man from Ohio who had initially reported his girlfriend’s disabled son as missing now faces charges for the boy’s murder.
Michael Kendrick, aged 39, along with Ashley Johnson, 36, were taken into custody in July 2025 concerning the tragic death of Johnson’s 7-year-old son, Hershall Creachbaum. On Thursday, both individuals faced new charges. Johnson is currently facing accusations of corpse abuse and evidence tampering, further to her initial charge of obstructing justice. For more details, refer to this source.
Kendrick, who reportedly confessed to striking Hershall, now faces charges of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and two counts of child endangerment, in addition to his previous charges of evidence tampering and corpse abuse.
The Dayton Police Department reported that Kendrick initially reported Hershall missing on July 12, 2025, claiming the boy disappeared around 3:30 a.m. Hershall, who had nonverbal autism and relied on a wheelchair, was missing, although authorities had already found his wheelchair.
Just hours following the 911 call, the boy’s remains were discovered. At a press conference, police indicated that they believed Hershall had never truly been missing and had likely been deceased for several weeks. When police questioned Hershall’s mother, Johnson, she allegedly stated she had left Hershall in Kendrick’s care while she was hospitalized for surgery in May 2025.
Kendrick initially claimed to authorities that Hershall died of natural causes, but his account later shifted. According to police, Kendrick admitted to hitting the boy and pushing him down, “causing him to bounce off the floor and strike other parts of his body.” Kendrick further alleged that Hershall died while he was showering.
After the boy’s death, Kendrick allegedly told police that he kept Hershall’s body in the home “until he started to smell.” He then allegedly moved the body into a freezer. After that, he wrapped the boy’s body in a sheet, “stuffed him into a suitcase and disposed of his body in a grassy field near train tracks,” police said. Kendrick later allegedly moved Hershall’s remains to the location where they were discovered.
Both Johnson and Kendrick are in custody at the Montgomery County Jail; Kendrick is being held without bond, and Johnson is being held on $25,000 bond. They are both scheduled to appear in court on April 30.
