A daycare should be a place where our children — the most precious things we have — are safe, protected, and cared for. Parents trust the staff, the facility, and those in charge to keep their children out of harm’s way.
But for 3-year-old Conrad Ashcraft and his family, something at his daycare would become an unimaginable death trap.
On May 16, 2025, Conrad was found dead at the daycare beneath a weighted blanket. What staff reportedly said about the heartbreaking incident is difficult to comprehend.
Last year, a Missouri daycare director was accused of causing the death of a 3-year-old autistic boy who was in her care, allegedly suffocating him with a weighted blanket.
Months later, Tiffany Hedrick was indicted by a St. Francois County grand jury on charges including abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, armed criminal action, and second-degree murder. Hedrick pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Arms allegedly restrained
According to the indictment obtained by PEOPLE, prosecutors allege that Conrad died from asphyxiation after Hedrick placed him face down beneath a weighted blanket while his arms were restrained.
The indictment further alleges that Hedrick “knowingly caused the child to suffer physical injury and that (the child) died as a result of injuries sustained from this conduct,” allegedly using a “dangerous instrument, namely a weighted blanket.”
Prosecutors allege that Conrad was separated from the other children during nap time and taken into a hallway. Hedrick reportedly claimed that the little boy was refusing to sleep.
According to the allegations, she then covered Conrad with the weighted blanket and used her legs to restrain him against the floor until he became still. The allegations also state that the blanket did not belong to the family.
Conrad’s mother, Tara Williams, has also accused the daycare, Poppy’s Playhouse 2, of failing to properly train and supervise its employees. In a complaint, she alleged that the facility was aware of and approved techniques involving the use of physical pressure on children in an attempt to get them to sleep.
The family has alleged that Conrad remained beneath the blanket for at least four hours after his death. They say daycare staff failed to realize that he had been suffocated and did not check on his condition.
His family remembers Conrad
Conrad’s aunt, Lacey Hardie, told KDSK that he was nonverbal and had autism.
His obituary remembers him as a little boy who found joy in simple things. Conrad loved swimming, Toy Story, Ms. Rachel, Cocomelon, and the movie Cars.
”He also loved pizza and enjoyed spending time with his parents and his family,” the obituary reads.
In September 2025, Tiffany Hedrick, the former daycare worker accused in the death of 3-year-old Conrad Ashcraft, was granted a reduced bond after spending more than a month in jail without bond.
A St. Francois County judge set her bond at $200,000. If released, Hedrick would be placed under house arrest with GPS monitoring and allowed to leave only for approved reasons, including work, court appearances and meetings with her attorney. She would also be prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children under 13.
The decision came despite an emotional statement from Conrad’s mother, Tara Williams, who told the court she did not believe Hedrick should be released.
Williams described being haunted by the memory of finding her son and said her family would never be the same. She also said Conrad’s brothers would have to grow up without him.
Hedrick’s attorney, Scott Rosenblum, argued that she was not a danger to the public or a flight risk and said the defense believed the prosecution’s case was not particularly strong.
Latest update
Family members were furious over the bond reduction. Conrad’s cousin Danielle Love said she was “utterly infuriated,” while his aunt Lacey Hardie described the possibility of Hedrick being released as “a punch-in-the-gut feeling.”
At the time, Poppy’s Playhouse 2 appeared to be closed, with its signs removed.
At a January 2026 case review, the defense reportedly said that a computer hack had prevented them from filing a motion for a change of venue earlier, according to a family member. The defense then reportedly said there was no other available court date for the remainder of the year.
As a result, Tara and her family has to wait until January 25, 2027, for the next court date.
READ MORE
- Hayden Panettiere’s mom slams boyfriend following her death
- Officer at Hayden Panettiere’s death scene reveals boyfriend’s shocking reaction
