A mother found her neurodivergent son face down on a pillow after arriving to pick him up from a day care facility.
A Missouri community is grappling with the tragic death of three-year-old Conrad Ashcraft, who was found dead at Poppy's Playhouse day care facility.
The incident has sparked an investigation by the St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and the state's child services, while the city of Park Hills has recused itself due to the day care's ownership by a city council member.
Conrad's aunt, Lacey Hardie, described him as "just a sweet loving baby" and has become a vocal advocate for justice.
"His mom was there at approximately at 4:15 (p.m.) and found him deceased," Hardie told KSDK.
The family alleges negligence, claiming an employee forced Conrad to sleep by applying weight pressure, leading to suffocation.
"He was nonverbal so he couldn't say 'oh this hurts' or 'I can't breathe,'" Hardie told the outlet's reporters.
The lawsuit accuses the day care staff of failing in their duty as mandated reporters.
"It's not just one person or the owner, it's everybody there who was witnessing the abuse and didn't say anything," Hardie explained to KSDK.
The community has rallied around Conrad's family, with a growing memorial at Poppy's Place and a benefit event planned at The Bullpen.
"He was just the sweetest boy. Everybody loved him so much and he just completed our family and now our family is missing a piece of our heart," Hardie told the station.
In the wake of the tragedy, Spring Gray, the councilwoman who owns the day care, resigned from her public position on Tuesday.
