Ashley Rolland: Mom of 5-year-old drowned by boyfriend claims no involvement, challenges death penalty

Warning: This article contains a recollection of crime and can be triggering to some, readers’ discretion advised.

If you or someone you know may be the victim of child abuse, please contact the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child (1-800-422-4453) or contact their live chat services.

LEE COUNTY, ARKANSAS: Ashley Rolland and her boyfriend Nathan Bridges are facing capital murder charges following the tragic death of her child Blu Rolland.

Blu, 5, was discovered deceased beneath the floorboards of his residence on December 16, 2022.

However, the mother's attorney contends that evidence indicates she is not eligible for the death penalty under established case law.

Notably, defense prosecutors argued that she had no involvement in her live-in boyfriend's act of drowning her 5-year-old son in a toilet, as Law & Crime reported.

Defense's argument

Attorney Erin Lewis, who filed the case on Thursday, stated that the State filed a criminal information against Ashley, indicating that her co-defendant, Nathan Bridges, was solely responsible for the homicidal act, and Ashley was merely present at the scene.

However, the State did not specify Ashley's role in the murder or her level of involvement.

Lewis added that other evidence provided by the State includes a statement from a witness present at the residence on the night of the incident, reporting that Ashley was screaming ‘Stop it!’ to Bridges.

These details, along with the referenced case law, indicate that Ashley is not eligible for the death penalty.

What happened at the crime scene?

Authorities reported that Bridges inserted his finger into Blu's mouth, resulting in the young boy biting him.

Allegedly, Bridges reacted by drowning the child in a toilet. Ashley claimed she was in the living room while Blu was in the bathroom with Bridges.

Upon Bridges' departure from the bathroom, Ashley entered and discovered her son struggling to breathe, with his body limp, according to authorities.

Afterward, Bridges purportedly cut a hole in the floor of the home, dug a hole in the ground, and buried the child's body beneath the house.

Ashley allegedly stated that Bridges also inflicted burns on her 6-year-old daughter's head by holding the child's "head and upper torso under hot water in the bathtub" as punishment for behavioral issues.

Initially, Ashley informed authorities that the burns were due to an allergic reaction, and she claimed Blu was not at home.

She is facing charges of capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with physical evidence, endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree, and battery in the first degree.

Additionally, she is charged with two counts of permitting child abuse, one concerning her daughter's injuries.

The legal proceedings against Bridges are ongoing, with charges including capital murder, abuse of a corpse, tampering with evidence, endangering the welfare of a minor in the first degree, and battery in the first degree.