An Arkansas mother, pictured with a badly bruised face in a photo with police, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with the death of her five-year-old son, whose body was found under the floorboards of her home.
Ashley Rolland, 30, pleaded guilty on Aug. 8 to two counts of permitting the abuse of a minor.
In December 2022, the body of her son, Blu Rolland, was discovered under the floorboards of their family home in the town of Moro. It was the boy’s sixth birthday.
It is believed that Blu was murdered three months before his body was found.
An Arkansas mother, whose face was badly bruised in a photo, has been sentenced to 40 years in prison in connection with the death of her five-year-old son, whose body was found under the floorboards of her home
It is believed that Blu was murdered three months before his body was found
Rolland’s friend, Nathan Bridges, 34, killed Blu after the five-year-old bit his finger.
Bridges did this by brutally thrusting the helpless boy’s head into a “water-filled toilet until he drowned,” Rolland’s statement said.
Rolland told detectives she stayed in the living room while her boyfriend was in the bathroom with her son.
When Bridges left the bathroom, “she came into the bathroom and saw [Blu] difficulty breathing[e]and his body was limp.’
Then Bridges cut a hole in their wooden floor, dug a hole in the ground and buried [Blu] under the house.
Rolland’s friend, Nathan Bridges, 34, killed Blu after the five-year-old bit his finger
In December 2022, the body of her son, Blu Rolland, was discovered under the floorboards of their family home in the small town of Moro
On December 16, 2022, Rolland’s parents came to pick up their grandchildren.
Rolland came outside with her daughter, but told her parents that Blu was not home.
The grandparents noticed severe scabbing on the girl’s head, which Ashley dismissed as an “allergic reaction,” according to a probable cause affidavit.
At that point, the grandparents contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
When emergency services arrived, they were met by Rolland’s father, who told them that his daughter had told him that Blu was ‘dead in the house’.
Deputies located the spot where Blu was believed to be buried and “found newly nailed-down boards”
Officers then searched the area where Blu was believed to be buried and “found recently nailed-down boards,” the affidavit said.
When they removed the boards, “they found upturned earth underneath.” After searching through the top layer of soil, “the officers found a child’s slippers” and a “red and blue blanket.”
‘Removing the top layer of soil released the pungent odor of decomposition.’
Following this discovery, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office called in the Arkansas State Police to complete the investigation.
Ashley Rolland, 30, pleaded guilty to two counts of allowing the abuse of a minor. Last month, Bridges pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and assault
Detectives soon found a small human body wrapped in several layers of plastic bags and a blanket. The Arkansas State Crime Lab later confirmed the body was Blu.
Police arrested Bridges and Rolland, who was booked into the St. Francis County Jail. She was found to have a black eye and bruises to her face.
Authorities also found that Roland’s 6-year-old daughter showed signs of injuries. They said she had burns on her scalp, as well as other signs of abuse.
The 30-year-old mother says Bridges is responsible for her daughter’s injuries.
Rolland stated in her statement that her boyfriend held the girl’s “head and upper body under hot water in the bathtub” as “punishment for her behavioral problems.”
Blu’s mother was originally charged with first-degree murder, but her attorneys argued she was “merely present” in the home when Bridges killed the boy
Blu’s mother was originally charged with first-degree murder, but her attorneys argued she was “merely present” in the home when Bridges killed the boy.
On August 8, she pleaded guilty in Lee County Superior Court to two counts of permitting the abuse of a minor.
Last month, Bridges pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and assault.
He was sentenced to 60 years in the Arkansas Department of Corrections.