3-Year-Old Conrad Ashcraft Died at Daycare—Now His Family Faces a Painful Wait for Justice

A Daycare Visit Ended in an Unimaginable Tragedy

Three-year-old Conrad David Wade Ashcraft was supposed to spend May 16, 2025, in a place his family trusted to keep him safe.

Instead, the nonverbal autistic boy died at Poppy’s Playhouse 2 in Park Hills, Missouri, after an incident during nap time that later led to criminal charges, civil lawsuits, and the loss of the daycare’s license.

What prosecutors allege happened inside the facility has become the center of a second-degree murder case against former daycare director Tiffany Hedrick.

Hedrick has pleaded not guilty, and the allegations against her have not yet been proven at trial.

Conrad Was Only Three Years Old

Conrad was autistic and nonverbal, meaning he could not simply explain to an adult that he was frightened, uncomfortable, or unable to breathe.

His family remembers him for far more than the circumstances surrounding his death.

He loved swimming, Toy Story, Ms. Rachel, Cocomelon, the movie Cars, pizza, and spending time with the people closest to him.

Those ordinary childhood joys are now what his loved ones are trying to hold onto while the criminal case moves slowly through Missouri’s court system.

The Incident Happened During Nap Time

According to allegations detailed in the case, Conrad was taken away from the other children during nap time after he was crying and having difficulty settling down.

He was moved into a hallway rather than remaining with his peers.

The allegations state that Hedrick initially positioned him beneath his personal blanket while restraining his arms.

When Conrad continued moving, he was allegedly turned onto his stomach.

An 18.2-Pound Weighted Blanket Was Then Used

According to the state investigation, an approximately 18.2-pound weighted blanket was placed over Conrad.

The blanket did not belong to his family.

The allegations further state that part of the blanket covered his face and that additional physical restraint was applied while he was lying on the floor.

Prosecutors later alleged that Hedrick used her legs to restrain Conrad as he remained beneath the blanket.

Prosecutors Say Conrad Died From Asphyxiation

A St. Francois County grand jury indicted Hedrick in August 2025 on charges of second-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, and armed criminal action.

The indictment alleges that Conrad was killed by asphyxiation after being left face-down beneath the weighted blanket with his arms immobilized.

It also alleges that the weighted blanket constituted a dangerous instrument in the conduct prosecutors say caused the child’s death.

Hedrick’s defense has entered a plea of not guilty and has said it intends to contest the prosecution’s case.

The Most Disturbing Allegation Came After Conrad Stopped Moving

According to the allegations, Conrad was not immediately checked after he stopped struggling.

State findings reported that staff believed the child had fallen asleep.

The family’s wrongful-death allegations state that Conrad remained where he had been placed for approximately four hours before anyone realized what had happened.

His mother reportedly discovered him when she arrived to pick him up.

His Mother Arrived Expecting to Take Her Son Home

For Conrad’s family, that part of the story has become almost impossible to separate from their grief.

A normal daycare pickup became the moment a mother learned that her three-year-old child would never be coming home.

The family has repeatedly questioned how a child could allegedly remain unchecked for such a long period inside a childcare facility.

Their civil claims also accuse the daycare of failing to properly train and supervise employees.

The Daycare Lost Its License

Following Conrad’s death, Missouri authorities revoked the license of Poppy’s Playhouse 2.

The facility was owned by Spring Gray, who at the time also served on the Park Hills City Council.

Gray resigned from her council position after Conrad’s death.

Because of the connection between the daycare owner and local government, the criminal investigation was referred away from Park Hills police to the St. Francois County Sheriff’s Office.

Two Wrongful-Death Lawsuits Followed

Members of Conrad’s family pursued civil action in addition to the criminal investigation.

His father, Joshua Ashcraft, filed a wrongful-death petition naming Hedrick and Gray, while Conrad’s mother, Tara Williams, filed a separate lawsuit against the daycare.

The lawsuits contain allegations about the restraint techniques used during nap time and the facility’s supervision and training practices.

Those civil allegations are separate from the criminal case, where prosecutors must prove the charged offenses under the criminal standard of proof.

The Grand Jury Indicted Hedrick Months Later

For almost three months after Conrad’s death, his family waited while investigators gathered evidence and the autopsy process continued.

Then, on August 14, 2025, a grand jury returned an indictment against Hedrick.

The charges included second-degree murder, abuse or neglect of a child resulting in death, and armed criminal action.

Hedrick was initially held without bond.

A Judge Later Reduced Her Bond

In September 2025, a St. Francois County judge set Hedrick’s bond at $200,000 surety after she had spent more than a month in custody without bond.

She was released under strict conditions.

Those conditions included house arrest and GPS monitoring, with permission to leave during specified hours for approved purposes such as work, court proceedings, and meetings with her attorney.

She was also prohibited from having unsupervised contact with children younger than 13.

The Bond Decision Devastated Conrad’s Family

For Conrad’s relatives, seeing the defendant released while they continued grieving was deeply painful.

His mother had urged the court not to release Hedrick, while other relatives publicly expressed anger over the bond decision.

Hedrick’s attorney argued that she was not a flight risk or a danger to the public and questioned the strength of the prosecution’s case.

The judge nevertheless imposed restrictions intended to control her movements while the case remained pending.

A Criminal Charge Is Not a Conviction

The allegations in Conrad’s case are extraordinarily serious, but Hedrick remains legally presumed innocent unless and until prosecutors prove the charges against her.

Her attorneys have entered a not-guilty plea and are entitled to challenge the state’s evidence, witnesses, medical conclusions, and interpretation of what occurred.

That legal distinction can be difficult for grieving families, especially when they have already spent months living with the consequences of the death.

But it remains a fundamental part of the court process.

The Family Is Now Facing an Extraordinary Delay

The newest publicly reported update has added another painful dimension to the case.

A January 2026 case review included discussion of a delayed defense filing connected with a requested change of venue.

The next reported court date is scheduled for January 25, 2027.

That means Conrad’s loved ones are facing a lengthy period between major court proceedings while the criminal case remains unresolved.

For the Family, Waiting Is Its Own Kind of Pain

Legal cases involving serious felony allegations can move slowly because attorneys must review evidence, litigate motions, consult experts, and prepare for trial.

But those procedural realities do not make the delay easier for a family who lost a child.

Every postponed hearing means more months without a final answer.

Every legal argument takes place against a permanent reality for Conrad’s relatives: he is not coming back.

His Mother Has Spoken About the Memory That Haunts Her

Reports about the bond hearing described Conrad’s mother speaking about the emotional impact of discovering her child and the effect his death has had on his brothers and the rest of the family.

For relatives, the criminal case is not an abstract question about statutes or courtroom scheduling.

It is tied directly to the last day of Conrad’s life and to questions about how the people responsible for supervising him responded.

Conrad’s Autism Is an Important Part of the Case

Conrad’s family has emphasized that he was nonverbal.

That made attentive supervision especially important because he could not communicate distress in the same way some other children might.

His aunt, Lacey Hardie, publicly described him as a deeply loved son, brother, grandson, nephew, and cousin.

His inability to verbally call for help is one of the reasons the allegations surrounding restraint and monitoring have caused such public concern.

The Case Has Raised Broader Questions About Restraint

Weighted blankets can be associated with therapeutic or calming purposes in some settings, but the criminal allegations in Conrad’s case concern the way one was allegedly used together with physical restraint and positioning.

The central question is therefore not simply whether a weighted blanket existed in the daycare.

Prosecutors allege that Conrad was immobilized, placed face-down, and subjected to additional pressure until he became still.

The defense will have the opportunity to contest those allegations and their legal significance in court.

The Facility’s Supervision Is Also Under Scrutiny

Conrad’s mother has alleged that Poppy’s Playhouse failed to properly train and supervise staff members and permitted unsafe methods of trying to settle children during nap time.

The family’s claims also question how a child could allegedly remain unchecked for hours.

Those allegations have become an important part of the civil litigation surrounding Conrad’s death.

His Family Wants Him Remembered as a Child, Not a Case Number

The legal language surrounding Conrad can easily become overwhelming.

Second-degree murder.

Abuse or neglect resulting in death.

Armed criminal action.

Wrongful death.

Bond hearings.

Venue motions.

But none of those terms describe who Conrad was to the people who loved him.

He was a three-year-old who enjoyed swimming and cartoons.

He loved Toy Story and Cars.

He liked pizza.

He had parents, brothers, grandparents, aunts, cousins, and others who expected him to grow up surrounded by them.

The Criminal Case Remains Unresolved

As of August 19, 2026, Hedrick continues to face the charges stemming from Conrad’s death, and no conviction has been reported.

The next reported court date is January 25, 2027.

Until the case reaches trial or another legal resolution, the allegations remain allegations and both prosecutors and the defense will continue preparing their arguments.

For Conrad’s Loved Ones, January 2027 Feels Far Away

The court calendar may measure the case in months, hearings, motions, and filing deadlines.

Conrad’s family measures it differently.

They measure it in birthdays he will never celebrate.

In family photographs that will never include an older version of him.

In brothers growing up without him.

And in the memory of a daycare pickup that ended with a mother confronting something no parent expects to see.

The Family Continues Waiting for Its Day in Court

Conrad Ashcraft entered Poppy’s Playhouse 2 as a three-year-old child whose family trusted adults to care for him.

He died there on May 16, 2025.

Months later, a grand jury accused Tiffany Hedrick of second-degree murder and other offenses connected with his death.

She has pleaded not guilty.

The daycare lost its license, civil lawsuits were filed, Hedrick was initially detained and later released on a $200,000 bond with restrictions, and the criminal case continues.

Now the family faces another long wait before the next reported court date in January 2027.

Whatever happens in court, Conrad’s relatives have made clear that they want the focus to remain on the little boy at the center of the case.

Before he became the subject of court filings and headlines, he was simply Conrad—a three-year-old who loved his family, swimming, pizza, and the characters that made him smile.