A 7-year-old Ohio boy who was found dead earlier this month was reportedly placed in trash bags weeks after he died in his mother’s boyfriend’s care.
Hershall Creachbaum was believed to have passed away several weeks before his remains were discovered on July 12, the same day that his mother’s boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, 38, reportedly contacted 911 claiming the boy had been abducted. According to a preliminary autopsy report from Montgomery County referenced by WDTN, Creachbaum’s remains, consisting of bones and tissue fragments, were discovered in multiple trash bags hidden among some brush.
Authorities reported that Creachbaum’s remains were “incomplete” and exhibited several fractures, though it remains uncertain if these occurred prior to his death. They are anticipating the results of an anthropological examination, which will not only provide confirmation of the identity of the remains but also establish the time and cause of death.
Creachbaum’s remains were found half a mile away from his Dayton residence just hours after Kendrick alleged someone had assaulted him and abducted the child. However, investigators concluded that this was a false report since Creachbaum had died weeks prior. They also suspect that Kendrick was under the influence when he made the 911 call.
Creachbaum, who was autistic and nonverbal, used a wheelchair but could walk short distances. His mother, Ashley Johnson, 36, allegedly told police that her son’s death occurred sometime in May while she was hospitalized. Kendrick reportedly revealed to Johnson that her son succumbed of natural causes while in his care — leading him to dump his body by some railroad tracks.
Kendrick allegedly confessed to punching Creachbaum twice in the head. He reportedly also pushed the boy down, resulting in additional injuries. Kendrick claimed he died in the shower the following day.
Dayton police claimed that Kendrick put Creachbaum’s remains in a suitcase, but he eventually returned to the location to recover the bones and put them in plastic bags. He then moved the bags to another location, according to police.
Though Kendrick was booked into jail on a preliminary murder charge, he was formally charged with tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. Johnson was arrested for failing to report a death and obstructing justice. Kendrick and Johnson remain jailed on bonds of $2 million and $200,000, respectively.
No murder charges have been filed, as Creachbaum’s cause of death is pending.
[Feature Photo: Dayton police]
