DAYTON — The cause and manner of death have been released for 7-year-old Hershall Creachbaum.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
Creachbaum’s cause of death was ruled as undetermined, and the manner of death was also undetermined, according to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Recently released convict accused of attacking housekeeper at Ohio motel
- Community honors Air Force veteran killed in crash
- WHIO Radio Morning Show host Larry Hansgen wins prestigious Marconi Award
As News Center 7 previously reported, the 7-year-old’s remains were found by police near a wooded embankment in July after concerned family members reported not seeing him for weeks.
Creachbaum’s mother, Ashley Johnson, and her boyfriend, Michael Kendrick, are facing charges in relation to the investigation.
Kendrick is accused of tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse.
Johnson is facing an obstruction of justice charge.
Kendrick led investigators to Creachbaum’s remains, just hours after he first called 911, claiming the boy had been kidnapped, court documents allege.
Court documents also show that Kendrick admitted that while Johnson was in the hospital in late May, he hit Creachbaum twice, pushed him down, then hid his body when he died the next day.
Police say Kendrick and Johnson stayed silent about his death for weeks, right up until their admissions to detectives.
Both have requested competency evaluations.
The Estate of Hershall Creachbaum Jr. has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against multiple agencies in Montgomery and Clark counties.
News Center 7 has reached out to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office about the possibility of additional charges.
“Our office has just received the coroner’s report. Our attorneys will review the report and meet with the investigators to determine the next steps,” a spokesperson said.
We will continue to follow this story.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
©2025 Cox Media Group
