The Misery Machine - The Case of Hershall Creachbaum Jr.

Episode Date: August 18, 2025

This week, Drewby and Yergy head back to Ohio to discuss the case of Hershall Creachbaum Jr, a young boy with cerebral palsy who was beaten to death by his drunken stepfather. But the horror didn’t end there... In a desperate attempt to cover up the murder, the man staged a fake kidnapping and fed investigators a twisted lie. Even more disturbing? CPS had been warned. Reports were made. The bruises were visible. But no one acted.Support Our Patreon: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/themiserymachine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠PayPal: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/themiserymachine⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Join Our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.co/DeSZIIMgXs?amp=1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: miserymachinepodcastTwitter: misery_podcastDiscord: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://discord.gg/kCCzjZM⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠#themiserymachine #podcast #truecrimeSource Materials:https://www.newsobserver.com/news/nation-world/national/article310779555.htmlhttps://www.daytondailynews.com/local/mothers-boyfriend-had-history-of-domestic-violence-charges-before-7-year-old-reported-dead/2ROUL2PETZGX7B4UGKMPPMTXF4/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/crime/autistic-boy-kidnap-death-dayton-ohio-b2790457.htmlhttps://www.daytondailynews.com/local/they-wont-help-us-school-staff-called-children-services-multiple-times-before-boys-death-per-911-calls/CSLIE4OVKVE4PFE7K5TFGSO7UA/https://www.facebook.com/trevor.leet.1/posts/-the-heartbreaking-homicide-of-7-year-old-hershall-creachbaum-jrin-the-early-mor/4017868111762508/https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/wont-help-us-school-staff-140500214.htmlhttps://www.wlwt.com/article/hershall-creachbaum-remains-death-dayton-ashley-johnson/65488010https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/columbus/news/2025/07/18/community-members-honor-life-of-hershall-creachbaum-https://www.facebook.com/groups/1646577629368815https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-eLXV2_uKohttps://www.wdtn.com/news/hershall-creachbaum/defendant-in-7-year-olds-death-case-seeks-record-restriction/?utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook_WDTN-TV&fbclid=IwY2xjawMDEydleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHilXP3SLVJQMTm9YCeWJAPpTiuDrZVnj9b9Qzka5YCvNeGcVfuaidLRokh8k_aem_vG40r6PRFV5KmRdPvy37Vghttps://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2923.13https://www.facebook.com/michael.kendrick.1238292https://www.facebook.com/ashley.johnson.980052https://www.facebook.com/hurshiie.dvbosshttps://www.facebook.com/missy.creachbaumhttps://www.facebook.com/hurshiie.dvbevst

Content warning. This video is about a sensitive topic involving loss of life. We've removed any graphic content to comply with YouTube's guidelines. We aim to provide informative, factual journalism on a tragic event in the public interest that is not dismiss its seriousness. All clips are... Where is Daredevil? I'm right here. Don't miss the return of Marvel Television's Dear Devil Born Again.

So what's next? I'll be liberated. We're going to take this city back. Over-medicated. In an all-new season, now streaming only on Disney Plus. They're hunting us. It's time we started hunting them. I can work with that.

This should be tons of fun. Marvel Television's Daredevil, Born Again, now streaming only on Disney Plus. I knew about investing, but I really didn't know how to go about it. Meet Corey, a Walthfront client. With Welfront, it could put money in, and it would automatically distribute it into a diversified portfolio. Then it starts to compound.

The compounding compounds on the compounding. Just let it wrong. And that's great. Over one million clients trust Wealthfront. Get started at Wealthfront.com. Client was paid $1,000 for their testimonial, creating a conflict of interest. Outcomes vary. Investment management and advisory services provided by Wealthfront Advisors LLC and SEC registered investment advisor. Investing involves risk to principle regardless of the strategy used. Task performance does not guarantee future results.

Ryan Reynolds here for MintMobile. I don't know if you knew this, but anyone can get the same premium wireless for $15 a month plan that I've been enjoying. It's not just for celebrities. So do like I did and have one of your assistants assistants, switch you to MintMobile today. I'm told it's super easy to do at mintmobile.com slash switch. Up front payment of $45 for three-month plan, equivalent to $15 per month required.

Intro rate first three months only, then full price plan options available. Taxes and fees extra. Seeful terms at Mintmobile.com. ...used under the doctrine of fair use for news reporting and analysis. Herschel Krechbaum Jr. was born on November 1, 2017, to parents Ashley Johnson and Herschel Creechbaum Sr. The couple also had an older daughter.

Sometime after the two children were born, the couple split up, after which they barely had any communication with one another. Ashley soon resumed an on-again, off-again relationship with Michael Kendrick, whom she had reportedly been in a 10-year relationship with. Herschel was born with cerebral palsy, autism, and couldn't speak. He was described by family members as a happy child despite his many challenges. They described him as, joyful, full of life, innocent, and deeply loved by those who knew him.

His favorite color was green. Herschel Sr. described him as the highlight of my life. Herschel and his sister spent most of their lives with their paternal grandmother, Missy Creechbaum in Springfield, Ohio. Where into sources, the children have been living with their grandmother for years in a couple of different homes. She was appointed to be their guardian in March of 2021, and every six months she had to fill out and submit minor guardian reports to the probate court.

According to these reports, Ashley had ongoing struggles with drugs, and Herschel's father, Herschel's senior, had left the state. A 2022 report stated that neither parent would come around and reports from 23 and 24 said that they didn't call to check up on the kids either. However, according to a September of 2024 report, both parents had resumed contact with their kids and Missy was allowed supervised visitation. Missy eventually returned the kids to Ashley's custody after she didn't have enough money to renew her lease. The kids moved in with their mother and her boyfriend, Michael, in a home located on Zinia Avenue in Dayton, Ohio.

According to Missy, Ashley seemed like she genuinely missed her kids and had no reason to suspect that Michael didn't want the best for them either. Initially, Missy maintained contact with her grandkids and visited with them often. After her lease expired, she moved into the family's home. However, in November of 2024, she was injured in a head-on collision in German township. As a result of this accident, she had to be hospitalized and was eventually moved into a nursing home. She claimed that she saw the kids more and more infrequently because of this. Missy had to use a mobility scooter to get around.

She claimed that there were times when she asked Ashley if she could move back into the home, but both her and Michael refused. After leaving the nursing home, Missy moved back to Springfield to be with friends before ultimately settling in Columbus. She claimed that she had planned on being near her grandchildren, but that it was proving difficult with her own health issues in Ashley's his refusal to let her move back in. In May of 2025, the Clark County Probate Court relinquished guardianship of Herschel and his sister from their grandmother and back to Ashley because Missy did not file the required minor guardian reports. Missy claimed that she never received the required paperwork, and the records indicated that

the probate court notices were mailed to a Springfield residence that she listed as her address in September of 2024. While Missy was unhappy with a new arrangement, she trusted Ashley. enough to believe that she had changed as a person and was ready to take care of her kids, especially Herschel who had special needs. What she didn't know at the time, however, was that Michael had a few run-ins with the law and had a lengthy criminal record. Most of Michael's troubles stemmed from his alcoholism. For example, in February of 2022, a female motorist flagged down Dayton police officers. She identified herself as Michael's sister. Woman whose name has been redacted

from court documents claimed that Michael was a passenger in the vehicle alongside her, Ashley, and Ashley's daughter. She told officers that her brother was heavily intoxicated and started verbally attacking the passengers. The woman also claimed that Michael had started acting violently on their way back to the couple's home. She stated that the verbal altercation had turned physical with Michael throwing a couple of punches. Official documents didn't indicate whom he hit, but Michael's sister claimed that at least one of them was struck in the face. Allegedly, she told Michael that she would flag down the police car they saw in the distance and that her brother threatened to kill her if she did so. Officers managed to subdue Michael and arrested him on charges of family

violence. However, the Montgomery County Prosecutor's Office didn't proceed with charging Michael when his sister failed to appear in court. Documentation from the 22 case, however, indicated that this was not the first time Michael had been in trouble for acting violently. There were, in fact, several cases, most of them committed while Michael was under the influence of alcohol. 2009, a then 23-year-old Michael was charged with arson and assault against his mother. Own it all. Pay off your home, travel for life, drive a Ferrari. In celebration of the world premiere of the Monopoly Big Board Buckslot Machine by Aristocrat Gaming,

Yamava Resort and Casino at San Manuel is giving one person a $1.6 million dream package. The biggest prize in Yamava's history. Club Serrano members can earn daily instant prizes and secure a spot in the finale May 29th. Don't pass go and own it all. Only at Yamava, celebrating its 40th anniversary. You win? Details at yamava.com must be 21-20. Please gamble responsibly. Monopoly is a trademark of Hasbro.

Hasbro is not a sponsor of this promotion. You thought this was your run club era. Turns out it was more of a thinking about run club era. The good news? Someone's marathon training is about to start. Sell your workout gear on Deepop. Just snap a few photos and we'll take care of the rest. They get their race day fit and you get a payout for trying.

Someone on Deepop wants what you've got. Start selling now. Depop. Where taste recognizes taste. Well, Kendrick, as well as another unknown victim. Court records indicate that he was placed on up to five years of probation or to pay restitution and was ordered not to come within a thousand feet of his mother and the other victim.

He was only allowed to have contact with his mother and his daughter on Christmas Day. 2013, Michael was accused of attacking an eight-year-old girl in Dayton, reportedly while intoxicated. Police said he was allegedly throwing glass bottles around and making threats while carrying a knife. In 2016, Michael attacked his mother once again. He was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of family violence. Sentenced to six months in jail for the attack and was ordered to not have any contact with his mother after his release. Sadly, his mother eventually passed away in 2022. Shortly after the final case involving his mother, Michael was again arrested on charges of felony theft.

He was sentenced to five years on probation, but was ultimately sentenced to serving out a 10-month prison term for violating the conditions of his probation. He failed to comply with multiple conditions, including a requirement that he abstained from alcohol and drugs. In 2018, Michael was convicted of a misdemeanor charge of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He spent five days in jail for the crime. In 2020, he was sentenced to five years on probation for felony charges of burglary and having weapons under disability. I was unfamiliar with this term weapons under disability and looked further into it. Under Ohio section 2923.13, the term having weapons while under disability, which will have the law on screen for you, seems to appear to function the same way that possessing a firearm as a felon tends to function in other states.

We will also have the link to this section down below in the source information. That same year, Michael was charged with a misdemeanor count of aggravated trespassing related to an incident that occurred at the homeless shelter for women and children in Dayton. This is besides his many, many run-ins with law enforcement for public intoxication, intoxicated driving, disorderly conduct, and criminal damage. According to responding officers, in every single one of his cases, Michael was highly intoxicated during his arrest. According to the staff at Ruskin Elementary School, where Herschel and his sister attended,

they contacted CPS several times in April of 20. The staff claimed that they believed the children weren't being adequately taken care of. According to police reports, they performed at least two wellness checks at the family's residents and ultimately concluded that the children weren't in any danger. The staff reported that on April 3rd, Michael had dropped the kids off at school while severely intoxicated. The caller also claimed that Herschel was covered in urine. According to one staff member, Regional dispatch.

Why do we do their blood check on them? So their guardian left them in the care of their biomather, and there's just signs of neglect. The 11-year-old has said that they are often without food. I've called it into CPS multiple times, and they today asked me to do a well-check with the police department. Another call for a wellness check was made the following day. We're into the caller.

Staff members were still shaken over what had happened on April 3rd. They told the dispatchers the following. Like the mom seemed like she was okay today at dismissal, which is the only reason I let them leave. But the boyfriend or whatever, he tried to pick them up and he was clearly intoxicated. A wellness check was conducted later that same day by police. Their reports indicated that everything was okay at the home. Kids had food and the house had power. Nothing came of the back-to-back reports made by school staff members.

Records show that a third call was also made, but it was made by someone who called 911 from the residents and then hung up. When the call connected the second time, the caller claimed it was a mistake and that they didn't need the police to come by. Despite this, a wellness check was still performed. And again, nothing came of it. At 3.45 a.m. on July 12th, Michael called 911.

He claimed that he was outside with Herschel on the front porch when an unknown assailant approached them. Michael claimed that the assailant punched him, knocking him unconscious and then kidnap Herschel. His report suggested that the man was possibly homeless and that he, Michael, had been knocked out for a couple of minutes. According to Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Records, the caller appeared to have been intoxicated during the phone call. We actually have that call, which will play for you now. 911 was location emergency.

Hello, this is 911. Well, I just had a tattoo, man. He ran away with my baby and my throat. What? What happened? Okay, what happened? The person where I tattooed, they stole my baby. I normally like try to help him out like... Where are you?

Zia Avenue. We're out on Zia Avenue. I know I'm just seeing them out and about. I just see on struggling. And they took a stroller? It's like a wheel. Sure. Okay, they took, was it yours?

It's my son. He took my son. He took my son. He took my son. Okay, where did he go? He punched me and took my son. They went up going on a zinn. Okay.

Now, if y'all don't get them, I'mma get them. Okay. Um. I promise you. So where did they, where do they go on Zinia? It wasn't up top, but he's going to raise drive-thru. Rays drive-through? Yeah.

Okay. Was this male, white, black, or Hispanic? He black. What was he wearing? What was he wearing? Some gay shit. What? What was he wearing?

Some gay shit. Okay. Like what? Yeah. Yeah. He had a rose to cover his stuff. Oh, no, he looks at church. I ain't never seen him like this.

I don't know. I think life's done snacks, and he found he done snacks. Okay, which, um, did he use any of course? He has two funny tails and some flowers in his hair. Go fine, how, because I need my son. Come on, boy. Okay, how old is your kid? He's eight.

Eight. What's his name? Introducing Taco Bell's new jalapino citrus salsa with bright citrus, real red jalapinos, guahillo chilees. Usually, you add sauce to the food, but when the sauce is this good, the food is just there to get the sauce to your mouth. That rolled cassidia, not a rolled cassidia anymore. Now it's a sauce shovel. Taco Bell's jalapeno citrus salsa, get it with any ice. on the canteen a chicken menu while it's here. The participating U.S. Taco Bell locations for a limited time only, while supplies last, contact store for availability.

I never heard. How long ago did this happen? It just happened. Which way did you say he was going? Oh, he's going towards raised, raised truck, so I don't know where he was going to be. Was he on foot or was he in a vehicle? No, he on foot. They already, you gotta understand, like I've been, he, there's somebody that I've been happy in all my life.

Okay, what was your son wearing? He's wearing some sweatpants and a beater. Okay. Because you gotta cover up his, his legs, because his legs, when he, it messed up his leg. because I ain't got no regular son. This is my stepson, per se. But the leg will mess up, like, where he, and to make them look like he's my color.

I'm light-scan, but it doesn't make them hot. So I put... Okay, what's your first name? I got officers in Route C. Are you... Yeah. I'm here. Okay.

What are you wearing? It'll be easier to find you. I stand outside of it so I need you. Okay, yeah. I stand outside, but what are you wearing? I said, oh, goodness. I thought you that. Yeah, I said, what are you wearing?

Like, what clothing are you wearing? What is I wearing? Yes, what are you wearing, so officers can find you easier? Um, comfortable. I'm just wearing some shorts. What color shorts? Okay. Are you wearing a shirt?

Okay. I mean, like, I don't know what I'm fucking. Because we need to come to talk to you. That's why I hate to call the time. You talk to us. I don't be getting that. Look, you're trying to identify the person that's doing something wrong. I'm not doing nothing wrong.

Not this time. Okay, well, we need to talk to you because it's your son. Okay. Before I fucking find them. Okay, we have an office on the scene. So, shut up. Do your job. Do what the fucking calling you for.

I'm going to go ahead. Michael claimed that Herschel had been taken from their front porch, however. Responding officers reported that there was no indication that the boy had been taken. By 8 a.m. that same morning, the Dayton Police Department updated its social media to alert the public of Herschel. disappearance. Ashley and Michael were taken for an initial interview, and that's where everything started to unfold. Ashley first claimed that she had seen Herschel a day before, but then quickly changed her story. She'll investigators that sometime in late May, she had been hospitalized. While in the hospital, she received a phone call from Michael. Ashley claimed that Michael told her

that Herschel was dead. She believed that Herschel was playing with his sister at the time, and that he passed away, in her words, from natural calls. Michael's story was much different than hers. He admitted that he had been drinking that day and that he struck Herschel twice while he was having an argument with someone over the phone. Michael claimed that he shoved the seven-year-old and that Herschel reportedly bounced off the floor. Still, he claimed that while Herschel might have been injured as a result, he was still alive until the following day.

The next day, Michael claimed that he found Herschel unresponsive in the shower, which is an interesting claim considering Herschel needed assistance showering that Michael would just randomly find him. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that the couple kept Herschel's body in the closet for a couple of days up to a week before he started to decompose. After that, Michael transported his remains in a suitcase to an open grassfield. After a few weeks, he reportedly returned and placed the remains in a bag, left them in the 100 block of McClure Street in Dayton. Michael agreed to lead the investigators to where he had dumped Herschel's remains. He led them to the street and they found Herschel's mobility vehicle located nearby. Afterwards, Michael was arrested and booked at Montgomery

County Jail. By 7.22 p.m. that same day, the Dayton Police Department updated their social media posts to reveal that Herschel's remains had been found that they had a suspect in custody. On July 14th, police chief Kamran Afzell held a press briefing where he announced that Ashley and Michael had been both arrested in connection with Herschel's death. He revealed that Michael was charged with three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of gross abuse of a corpse. Meanwhile, Ashley was charged with obstructing justice and failure to report a death. Chief Afzal also told the press that the investigation was ongoing,

indicating that the neglect might have gone on for several months before Herschel ultimately died. First and foremost, my heart goes out to Herschel. family and anyone who truly cared for him. In our line of work, unfortunately we do see evil acts on a routine basis. This call on this situation, towards this child is horrendous and truly evil. On Saturday, July 12th, about 3.45 in the morning, we got a call from 404 Xenia. The initial call was for a report of a kidnapped child. As this and so, multiple crews searched area as this information, we received this information.

As the investigation unfolded, it was determined that Herschel had not been seen for several weeks. At that point, the investigation turned into a potential homicide investigation. Ultimately, it was determined that Harshal was not missing, but was deceased for several weeks. Information was then developed that led our investigators to the area of McClure and U.S. 35. The slide shows you both locations, the US 35 McLaur location, and also the 404 Zinia. And to this location, and we're covered what we believe is Herschel remains at this point. We currently have two people who have been charged. I'm going to show you.

The first one is Michael Kendrick. He's currently in jail. Charges are tampering with evidence, three counts. So, of course. You also see his convictions felony is criminal record, which shows aggravated arson felony, theft felony, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, misdemeanor, weapons under disability, aggravated trespass, also a misdemeanor. And we also have Ashley Johnson, who is the biological mother of Herschel. She is facing, she has been charged with obstruction of justice, which is a felony, and failure to report her death, which is a misdemeanor. and she has a prior criminal convention of theft, which is a misdemeanor.

It is important to note that these charges are preliminary charges against these two individuals. Our investigators are working with Montgomery County prosecutors, Coroner's Office, and additional charges may be forthcoming based on the forensic examination of what we believe are Herschel remained. According to the coroner's report, Herschel's remains. Herschel's remains were found in a number of black plastic bags, concealed by brush near the McClure Street Bridge along US 35. The coroner also noted that they found several fractures on the boy's skeleton, but it was unclear if they happened pre or post-mortem. According to the report, scant tissue was found on badly decomposed bones, making up only a partial skeleton.

Michael appeared in court electronically, and Bond was set at $2 million. on July 15th. Ashley appeared before the court a day later and had her bonds set at $250,000. July 21st, the Montgomery County grand jury indicted Ashley and Michael on their charges. A couple was arraigned on July 24th, and their original bonds were upheld. Grandmother Missy expressed her regret at leaving the children in the care of their mother after Herschel's death made the news. She also stated that despite her health challenges, she was going to try to regain custody of

Herschel's 11-year-old sister who was currently in the care of child protective services. On July 19th, a memorial service was held for Herschel. The memorial service started at the Ruskin Elementary School and continued to McClure Street Bridge. People from all over Dayton came over the course of the following week to remember Herschel. You can just walk in and he can, he makes somebody so happy. Like, you can feel so sad and he will put it through you. your full sight on your face. He was growing and learning every day, and he was never sad. You never heard him cry, ever.

He always was smiling, and he loved light up toys and was always just happy. So it's very sad this happened to him. It's very sad what happened. You just can't understand how something like this would happen, you know, and it hits in your community, so it hits you in a whole different way. The community turned the McClure Street Bridge into a memorial. They left stuffed animals, balloons, flowers, and handwritten messages in Herschel's memory. One note from his cousin read,

I miss you, Hershey. You didn't deserve that. Area bikers came together for a ride honoring the seven-year-old boy. United Rehabilitation Services, a Dayton area nonprofit that serves those with disabilities and special needs, said in a Facebook post that Herschel should have been safe. His death is heartbreaking and a painful reminder that children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable in our communities. His life mattered and we must all do better. Family and grieving community members demanded an investigation into the failures of CPS, law enforcement, and school officials who had been made aware of Herschel's living situation. You're just getting a mask. You're not

really seeing what's going on and you're letting it go and you're walking away and how many kids are going to continue to die because you're not actually pushing to do the job you were given. Dayton Public School Superintendent David Lawrence said school district employees must report any suspected violence or neglected children's services. But as we mentioned earlier, school officials did report Herschel and his sister to CPS, more than once in fact. Services to try to help us. They said they would not help us unless we sent a wellness check for them. Like it's caught up in between counties because his guardian lives in Clark County. Superintendent went on to share that as the specific matter is an active police,

police investigation, we are not at liberty to disclose any additional details related to the student at this time. Once the investigation concludes and the district attorneys clear us to comment further on the matter, we would be happy to do so. As this case is still ongoing, we will be sure to keep an eye out for updates as they become available. Versal's family is calling for the maximum punishment for both Ashley and Michael. That said, Michael and Ashley are considered innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Dayton Police Department has promised a thorough investigation and more charges are expected once the coroner finalizes the official cause of death. It's important to note that despite Michael's confession, he has not been charged

with murder or even manslaughter. Legal experts have explained that such charges require a clear, provable cause of death, something that's not immediately possible in Herschel's case due to the condition of his remains. Only partial skeletal remains and minimal tissue were found. This severely complicates efforts to officially determine whether Herschel's death was from neglect or other causes. Without forensic confirmation, any homicide charge could be dismissed in court due to a lack of evidence. For now, they've secured high bonds to keep both suspects in custody while awaiting further results. In August 6, Michael's lawyers requested for the court to issue an order for no pro access. This would restrict public access to the county public record system for all

pleadings and filings in the case. His lawyers are arguing that such restrictions are reasonable and necessary to protect his right to a fair trial. They claim that and I quote, the alleged facts and circumstances of the instant case have generated a tremendous amount of pretrial publicity in the media, including print, broadcast online, and social media, and includes information that is erroneous, prejudicial, and or otherwise inimissible in court. In demanding legislative change, several people working and Herschel's case have called out CPS for creating confusion over which jurisdiction the seven-year-old's case came under. Going to reports, Missy was the last known guardian for the children until she moved to Columbus. She had lived with the kids as their guardian while residing in Springfield, which comes under

Clark County's jurisdiction. However, because she never filed the paperwork, which she claimed she never received, the kids hadn't been transferred to Montgomery County's CPS jurisdiction. With no clear county agency asserting responsibility and guardianship legally reverting to Ashley, multiple opportunities for intervention fell through the cracks. The best that anyone could do, apparently, was perform welfare checks at the residence. Even then, despite multiple calls being made about the children's treatment at home, specifically while under Michael's care, officers noted that everything seemed okay at the residence. We represent the estate of Herschel Krechbaum.

As you know, his death was very tragic and preventable. We believe that children's services fell this child. We know that teachers and the police call children services on multiple occasions to report issues as it relates to the care of this child. We know that Herschel was autistic, nonverbal, in a wheelchair, really, one of the most vulnerable of our citizens. I really thought that children's services learned from the Dakota Collins case. I guess not. What we're going to do is we're going to honor Herschel's memory by holding children's services accountable for failing this child.

This should not have happened. Again, this is a failure on children's services, the agencies that are supposed to be. to protect these children aren't doing what they're supposed to do. We had legislation passed that was supposed to help fill in the gaps that would prevent this from happening and evidently it didn't fill the gaps. But we know that those that are supposed to protect this child, those that are supposed to keep this child out of harm's way didn't do their job. And as a result, he's dead.

We think this child went through hell. He was abused. He was neglected. He was just, you know, probably some of the horrific things that you can imagine this child went through. And because he was autistic and because he was a special needs child, you know, I think that more care and more attention should have been given to him. and it just didn't happen. The lawyers in the video we just played for you mentioned the Dakota Collins case, which was by far one of the worst cases that we've ever discussed on this show.

We will be sure to post a link in the pin comment for you to check out if you're unfamiliar with Dakota's story. As of the date of this recording in August of 2025, Herschel still doesn't have a final resting place. The Facebook group run by Herschel's loved ones is currently raising money for the little boys' burial, which is taking place at Rose Hill Burial Park. It's unclear exactly where funding stands as of today. So if you're looking to contribute, the best place to check would probably be with Herschel's loved ones that are running that Facebook group.

There's also been a lot of confusion online as to who is handling funeral arrangements due to conflicting posts made by Herschel Sr. In a post made on July 23rd, Herschel's father instructed anyone looking to make donations, to reach out directly to the Jones-Kennie Zekman funeral home in Springfields. However, a recent post in the group claims that the funeral home is not in a position to take donations as the arrangements haven't been finalized with the family.

Another point of contention is what is going on with Herschel's headstone. In a post made on July 29th, Herschel Sr. claims that his son's headstone was going to cost $7,755 total and $770 to start work. However, this conflicts with a post made on July 13th to another Facebook group that appears to no longer exist. In the post, Attorney's Stoneworks offers to provide a stone free of charge. The company made a post to their own Facebook page on July 23rd, confirming this. Ruskin Elementary is also preparing to honor our Herschel's memory with a permanent on-campus memorial. According to parent-volunteer Bridget Lowe, the school will install a memorial rock embedded

in concrete on the school grounds. Bridget described the effort as a deeply personal initiative, saying this year school won't be the same without Herschel. We will have a memorial at Ruskin Elementary, permanently there for Herschel forever. In addition to the memorial rock, a custom memorial bench is being planned thanks to local fundraising efforts. One Dayton based, business sweet retreat donated $1,200 to support the creation of the bench, which will be placed near the school entrance or along a walking path that students take each morning. According to Bridget, many students will pass by the Memorial Daily. Quiet, the powerful reminder of a classmate they lost far too soon.

Starting a business can seem like a daunting task, unless you have a partner like Shopify. They have the tools you need to start and grow your business, from designing a website to marketing, to selling and beyond, Shopify can help with everything you need. There's a reason millions of companies like Mattel, Heinz, and all birds continue to trust and use them. With Shopify on your side, turn your big business idea into... Sign up for your $1 per month trial at Shopify.com slash special offer.