Michael Kendrick and Ashley Johnson, charged in connection with the death of Johnson's disabled son, now face additional indictments including murder and abuse of a corpse. The pair was arrested last July after the boy's remains were found shortly after Kendrick reported him missing. Police say the 7-year-old had been dead for weeks.
Michael Kendrick, 39, and Ashley H. Johnson, 36, appeared in court facing escalated charges over the death of Hershall Creachbaum, Johnson's 7-year-old son with nonverbal autism who used a wheelchair. On Thursday, a grand jury indicted them on new counts. Johnson now faces abuse of a corpse and tampering with evidence alongside obstructing justice. Kendrick is charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and two counts of endangering children, in addition to tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse. Both remain in Montgomery County Jail, with Kendrick held without bond and Johnson on $25,000 bond. They are due in court on April 30. Dayton police reported that Kendrick called 911 on July 12, 2025, claiming Hershall went missing around 3:30 a.m. Hours later, the boy's remains were discovered nearby. Investigators determined the child had died weeks earlier and was never missing. Johnson told police she left her son with Kendrick while hospitalized after surgery in May 2025. Kendrick first claimed natural causes but later admitted punching the boy and pushing him to the ground, causing him to bounce and strike other surfaces. He said Hershall died while he showered. Police detailed that Kendrick kept the body in the home until it began to smell, then placed it in a freezer. He wrapped it in a sheet, put it in a suitcase, and dumped it in a grassy field near train tracks before moving it to the site where it was found.