Inset: Ashley Fagan (Columbus Division of Police). Background: The area in Columbus, Ohio where Fagan lived with and allegedly killed her daughter (Google Maps).
A 33-year-old mother in Ohio who stood by and did nothing as her boyfriend beat and strangled her 6-year-old daughter for weeks if not months, ultimately leading to her death, is headed to prison.
Court records show Ashley Fagan on Friday pleaded guilty to two counts each of permitting child abuse and endangering children and one count of involuntary manslaughter and obstructing justice in the death of Eva Bretz. A judge sentenced her to between 18 and 23 1/2 years behind bars. Prosecutors dropped the murder charge as part of the plea deal.
Officers with the Columbus Division of Police responded to a 911 call at a home located in the 4000 block of Migration Lane, Columbus, Ohio, on April 13, 2025, CBS affiliate WBNS reported. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located Eva and immediately began lifesaving procedures.
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.
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Unfortunately, Eva succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced dead about six hours after she was admitted to the hospital. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office performed an autopsy and reportedly determined that Eva’s manner of death was a homicide.
Fagan claimed her daughter was playing with a friend the night before and got a tree branch caught in her hoodie which restricted her breathing but seemed fine otherwise, according to a courtroom report from the Columbus Dispatch.
But a police investigation revealed her story was hogwash. Surveillance video from the apartment complex showed Eva was never outside playing the night before. Per the Dispatch, detectives recovered text messages between her and her boyfriend Blake Hutchinson from as early as October 2024 that showed they were trying to get their stories straight about Eva suffered her horrific injuries.
Eva’s grandfather spoke before the court during Fagan’s plea hearing.
“The one person on this planet that should have had her best interest at heart did not take any steps to protect her, and it could have been done so easily,” Kevin Coles reportedly said.
While reiterating Fagan did not physically hurt her child, her attorney said she still bears great responsibility.
“She’s a human being who has made unforgivable choices,” attorney Terry Sherman said.
Franklin County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard Brown, a father and grandfather himself, became emotional when imposing his sentence, according to the Dispatch.
“I cannot imagine taking a life or watching while someone else takes the life of a child, particularly your own child,” the judge said.
As Law&Crime previously reported, a copy of the coroner’s report obtained by the 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.
According to the Dispatch, Fagan was arrested after she and Hutchinson provided conflicting stories about how Eva sustained her fatal injuries. Hutchinson was also indicted in connection with Eva’s death, but killed himself just prior to authorities placing him under arrest, McClatchy News reported.
The indictment, a copy of which was obtained by the Dispatch, alleges that Eva’s injuries were the “proximate result of permitting the child to be abused, to be tortured, to be administered corporal punishment or other physical disciplinary measure, or to be physically restrained in a cruel manner or for a prolonged period.”
Fagan also faced charges in connection with a 1-year-old child who was the victim of “serious physical harm” between November and December 2023.
Jerry Lambe contributed to this report
