An Arkansas mother whose face was badly bruised in her mugshot 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 August 8 to two counts of tolerating the abuse of a minor.
In December 2022, the body of her son Blu Rolland was discovered under the floorboards of the family home in the small town of Moro – on the day the boy would have celebrated his 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 her mugshot 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.
Blu is said to have been 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 pushing the helpless boy’s head into a “water-filled toilet until he drowned,” Rolland’s affidavit states.
Rolland told investigators she stayed in the living room while her boyfriend was in the bathroom with their son.
When Bridges left the bathroom, “she entered the bathroom and saw that (Blu) was struggling to breathe and his body was limp.”
Bridges then “cut a hole in her 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 visited the house to pick up their grandchildren.
Rolland left the house with her daughter, but told her parents that Blu was not at home.
The grandparents noticed severe scabs on the girl’s head, which Ashley dismissed as an “allergic reaction,” according to an affidavit.
At this point, the grandparents contacted the Lee County Sheriff’s Office for help.
When rescue workers arrived, they were met by Rolland’s father, who told them that his daughter had told him that Blu was “dead in the house.”
Officials located the spot where Blu was allegedly buried and “found freshly nailed boards”
Officers then located the spot where Blu was allegedly buried and “found freshly nailed boards,” the affidavit states.
When they removed the boards, “they found disturbed soil underneath.” After sifting through the top layer of soil, “officers found a child’s flip-flops” and a “red and blue blanket.”
“The removal of the top layer of soil released a pungent smell of decay.”
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 molestation of a minor. Last month, Bridges pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and assault.
Soon after, investigators 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 were taken to the St. Francis County Jail, where she appeared with a black eye and bruises on her face.
Authorities also found that Roland’s six-year-old daughter showed signs of injury. She reported that she had apparent burns on her scalp and other signs of abuse.
The 30-year-old mother said Bridges was responsible for her daughter’s injuries.
In her affidavit, Rolland stated 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 capital murder, but her lawyers argued that she was “merely present” in the house when Bridges killed the boy.
Blu’s mother was originally charged with capital murder, but her lawyers argued that she was “merely present” in the house when Bridges killed the boy.
On August 8, she pleaded guilty in Lee County District Court to two counts of tolerating 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.
