Ashya Joseph

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

El Paso County child welfare caseworkers had been alerted to problems in the home six times before Ashys death. There were allegations of bruises and black eyes and cuts on the eyes of the children. In addition, the father shot a gun at his wife in their yard with all of the children present, and then he killed himself four days later after returning to the home. That shooting incident, along with the other abuse allegations, did not prompt any intervention.

 

Maria Gardner was distraught over her husband suicide. She was in no shape to continue caring for her five young children nine year old Dontrell, eight year old Domenic, five year old Supreme, three year old Amarjahan and sixteen month old Ashya. An El Paso County child welfare caseworker was warned that Gardner was making funeral arrangements for herself and her children. The caseworker tried to “problem-solve” with Gardner, and came up with a strategy to get a babysitter so Gardner could go to a crisis center to talk with a therapist. That night, the therapist called the caseworker and said Gardner had been sent home and did not need hospitalization.

 

Five nights later on January 28, 2008, Gardner gathered all five of her children into her bedroom, then soaked them with gasoline and set them on fire. Only four of the children survived. Ashya did not survive the blaze. She died of smoke inhalation and burns to her body. You can hear Domenic screaming during the 911 call, “Why did you? You killed them. Why did you kill them. I loved them.”

 

Gardner, in an interview with the Denver Post, said she will live in pain for the rest of her life. “It kills me every day to have to hear my children screaming,” Gardner said. “To know I’ve hurt them so much. For my youngest daughter to not be alive now because of what I’ve done. Not a day goes by, not one, where I don’t think about what I’ve done.” She said she blamed the caseworker for not intervening. “They should’ve taken my children from the home, and, ultimately, I say, put me on at least a 48-hour suicide hold,” she said. “Don’t just tell me I have to go somewhere for an evaluation.”

 

Gardner is now serving 85 years in prison.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WARNING: Contents are disturbing.

 

http://childfatalities.denverpost.com/#id=27&name=JosephAshya