• A 32-year-old Ohio mother, Ashley Fagan, faces multiple charges, including murder and child endangerment, after the death of her 6-year-old daughter, Eva Bretz, from severe, prolonged abuse.
• The coroner’s report revealed blunt force trauma, internal injuries, and evidence of sexual assault, with prosecutors highlighting the case as a tragic example of systemic child abuse.
• Fagan is also charged with harming a 1-year-old in her care, while her boyfriend and co-suspect, Blake Hutchinson, died by suicide before his arrest.

A 32-year-old mother in Ohio is facing murder charges, accused of beating and strangling her 6-year-old daughter, Eva Bretz, over a period of weeks, eventually leading to the child’s death. Ashley Fagan has been charged with murder, involuntary manslaughter, and obstructing justice, as well as permitting child abuse and endangering children related to another child in her care, according to court records.

Police were called to the 4000 block of Migration Lane in Columbus on April 13, 2025, following a 911 call. Officers found Eva unresponsive and began lifesaving measures. The child was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where doctors discovered severe internal injuries, including a severed liver, as well as ligature marks around her neck. Eva was pronounced dead six hours later. The Franklin County Coroner’s Office classified her death as a homicide, stating that she had endured “severe physical abuse over weeks or months.”

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According to the coroner’s report, Eva suffered blunt force trauma to her abdomen, fractured ribs and pelvis in varying stages of healing, and had fentanyl in her system. Evidence suggested she was a victim of sexual assault prior to her death. Police also revealed that Fagan and her boyfriend, Blake Hutchinson, gave conflicting accounts of how Eva sustained her injuries. Hutchinson, who was also indicted, died by suicide just before his arrest, the Kansas City Star reported.

The indictment obtained by The Columbus Dispatch alleged that Eva’s injuries were the result of being “tortured, physically restrained in a cruel manner, or subjected to corporal punishment.” Prosecutors have described the case as a “tragic example of systemic child abuse.”

Fagan is also facing charges related to a 1-year-old in her care, who reportedly suffered serious physical harm between November and December 2023. Police said the young child is now receiving ongoing care.

As this case unfolds, attention is focused on how legal systems and child protection agencies address prolonged patterns of abuse. The charges against Fagan could result in decades of imprisonment if she is convicted.

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