Boy Drowned in Toilet and Buried Under Floorboards by Mother’s Abusive Boyfriend
Newly filed court documents have revealed the harrowing details of the death of 5-year-old Blu Rolland, who was discovered buried under the floorboards of his home in Arkansas, America.
According to reports, Blu and his sister were living with their mother, 28-year-old Ashley Rolland, and her boyfriend, Nathan Bridges. Dustin Rolland, the children’s father and Ashley’s ex-husband, disclosed that he had fought to gain access to them and had filed a complaint that he was refused visitation as ordered on September 14.
On Friday, December 16, Blu’s sixth birthday, Dustin’s mother, Karen Rolland, went to pick the children up for a court-ordered visit. Reports state that Ashley initially told Karen that Blu was not at the house and gave Karen her daughter. The girl’s hair was chopped off, and there were scabbed-over injuries on her head.
Image – GoFundMe via The New York Post
Her granddaughter reportedly could barely walk, her clothes were soiled in urine, and she appeared terrified. Karen stated that the first thing that she asked for was something to eat, and later tests revealed that she was malnourished and had cracked ribs. After taking the child to a hospital, Karen called the police and informed them of the incident.
A subsequent search by the police led to the discovery of Blu’s corpse wrapped in “multiple layers of plastic bags” under recently nailed-down floorboards. He had already been dead for over three months.
Ashley and Bridges were arrested the following day. Asley told the authorities that Bridges had caused her daughter’s injuries by holding her down in hot water “as punishment for her behaviour issues.” The 28-year-old said that Blu died on September 9 after Bridges held his head in the toilet as punishment for biting his finger. Ashley claimed to have been in another room and found Blu limp and struggling to breathe.
Image – St. Francis County Sheriff’s Office
According to Ashley, Bridges buried Blu under the flooring. However, a witness told the police that Ashley said she had buried him after he “had come out of the bathroom with his face/body swelling and foaming at the mouth before collapsing and dying. “Ashley and Bridges stand accused of multiple charges, including capital murder and abuse of a corpse. Ashley will face two additional felony charges of permitting child abuse.
