7-year-old dead for ‘several weeks’ before being reported missing; mother, her boyfriend arrested

Two people are facing charges in connection with the death of a missing child whose body was found hours after he was reported missing over the weekend.

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News Center 7’s John Bedell will have the latest on the investigation into the child’s death, including details from newly filed court documents, tonight on News Center 7 at 5:00 and 6:00.

News Center 7 previously reported that 7-year-old Hershall Creachbaum was reported missing around 3:30 a.m. Saturday morning. Police previously reported that he was 8, but said he was 7 on Monday.

His family reported him missing from a home in the 400 block of Xenia Ave.

Hours later, around 7:30 p.m. Saturday evening, police found a body believed to be Creachbaum’s less than half a mile from where he was reported missing.

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Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal confirmed on Monday that Creachbaum had actually not been seen for several weeks, and that he had been dead for several weeks.

Police have made two arrests in the case. Creachbaum’s biological mother, 36-year-old Ashley N. Johnson, and her boyfriend, 38-year-old Michael Kendrick, were both arrested and charged in connection with the case.

Johnson has been charged with obstructing justice and failure to report a death.

Kendrick has been charged with three counts of tampering with evidence and one count of abuse of a corpse.

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