Texas couple Daniel and Ashley Schwarz Charged with capital murder in the death of an 8-year-old
A Texas couple has been charged with capital murder in the death of an 8-year-old girl who was found dead by police on Aug. 29 at their Odessa home, according to a police report by the Odessa Police Department. Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, called police to their home on Locust Avenue in response to a "medical call," police said. Both have been charged with a capital felony on Monday.
According to a police investigation, the young girl, Jaylin, was punished and not allowed to eat breakfast. She was allegedly required to jump on the trampoline without stopping for an "extended period of time," police said. Police say they later determined that the child was also not allowed to drink any water because she was not jumping.
Police issued a search warrant and found that the temperature of the trampoline was approximately 110 degrees and the ground approximately 150 degrees. In the final autopsy report, obtained Oct. 8, the child's cause of death was due to dehydration. The temperature on the day of her death was 103 degrees, according to Accuweather.com.
Daniel and Ashley were not the girls' biological parents but were her guardians, the police department said. According to a Facebook post by Alysha Anderton, Jaylin's biological mother, she placed her daughter in the care of her stepsister.
Anderton wrote on social media that she had been trying to get access to Jaylin and her sister, Jayde, who was also apparently in the Schwarz's family care at the time of her death, People Magazine reported.
"I never got the chance to tell her how HARD I was trying to be in her life and I was SO SO close," Anderton wrote on Facebook. "Only a few months away from being able to see them."
"But I was too late. And all I can think about is her leaving this world not knowing how much I love her and how much I wanted her. It's not fair that they got so many memories with her and all I'm left with is a hole in my heart that's so big that I'm completely numb and empty. A part of my soul has died and I will never be the same ever again."
Capital murder warrants were obtained for both parents who were later arrested and charged, police said. They were taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center.
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