The parents of a Benton toddler who fatally shot himself last week were charged with manslaughter Monday, police reported.
Phillip Daniel Ashley, 27, and his wife, Tabitha, 23, were being held at the Saline County jail in the death of their 2-year-old son, Blayden. The couple was also charged with first-degree endangering the welfare of a minor, as their 6-year-old daughter was present when the shooting occurred, according to court filings.
Police said they were called last Tuesday about 1:35 p.m. regarding a shooting at the couple's home at 812 Nelson Court off Edison Avenue. The boy was hospitalized in Conway and then taken to Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, where he died from his injuries later that day.
According to a court affidavit filed by Benton police, Tabitha Ashley said she was in the bathroom when she heard a gunshot in the living room. She then found her son lying on the floor, bleeding from a gunshot wound in his face. A .45-caliber handgun was next to him, the affidavit states.
Detective Eli Fowlkes wrote in the affidavit that Tabitha Ashley tested positive for prescription painkillers and tranquilizers, as well as amphetamines, after the shooting. Police found evidence on her phone that she was trying to illegally buy prescription painkillers, but Fowlkes wrote that "officers are unsure if Tabitha was under the influence of prescription medication the day of the shooting."
Police obtained a search warrant to collect her prescription records from the Arkansas Prescription Monitoring Program, court records show.
Benton police spokesman Lt. Kevin Russell said in a news release that additional charges against the couple are possible and detectives are working with multiple agencies in "determining the facts of the case."
Contacted by phone Monday, Russell declined to elaborate, saying the investigation is ongoing.
Court records show the Arkansas Department of Human Services took custody of the Ashleys' 6-year-old daughter last week under the state's Child Maltreatment Act. A Saline County Circuit Court judge appointed the girl's grandparents as her guardians Friday, on the condition that she not see her parents unless supervised.
A Department of Human Services investigation is ongoing.
Court records show the Ashleys have no previous criminal history.
Under Arkansas law, manslaughter occurs when someone recklessly or negligently causes the death of another person. It's a felony punishable by a prison term of three to 10 years.
Metro on 11/24/2015