A 32-year-old mother in Ohio is facing decades behind bars for allegedly beating and strangling her 6-year-old daughter for weeks, ultimately killing the child in horrific fashion. Ashley Fagan was taken into custody and charged with on one count each of murder, involuntary manslaughter, and obstructing justice in connection with the slaying of young Eva Bretz, records show.
Fagan is also facing two counts each of permitting child abuse and endangering children in connection with a 1-year-old child who was the victim of “serious physical harm” between November and December 2023.
Officers with the Columbus Division of Police responded to a 911 call at a home located in the 4000 block of Migration Lane, Columbus, Ohio, on April 13, 2025, CBS affiliate WBNS reported. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders located Eva and immediately beganlifesaving procedures.
Eva was transported to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, where she was admitted in critical condition. Per the report, the child was suffering from internal injuries — including a severed liver — and external injuries — including ligature marks around her neck — that doctors deemed to be life-threatening.
A copy of the coroner’s report obtained by The Columbus Dispatch provided additional details about Eva’s death, reportedly concluding that the 6-year-old was likely subjected to severe physical abuse for several weeks or even months before she ultimately died. Tests showed that the child also had fentanyl in her system and was the victim of sexual assault prior to her death.
In addition to the severed liver, Eva also sustained blunt force trauma to her abdomen. She had multiple fractures to her ribs and pelvis that were in different stages of healing, a telltale sign of ongoing abuse, police said.
