AN 8-year-old girl died after being forced to repeatedly jump on a trampoline in extreme heat without food or water.
Her parents reportedly did not allow Jaylin Schwarz to eat breakfast and refused her water when she stopped jumping.
Family HandoutJaylin died of dehydration after being forced to repeatedly jump on a trampoline[/caption]
Odessa Police DepartmentDaniel Schwarz, 49, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years in jail[/caption]
Odessa Police DepartmentAshley Schwarz was found guilty of capital murder in May 2023[/caption]
Jaylin’s horrific death happened nearly five years ago in Odessa, Texas, when police responded to a medical call at the child’s home.
The police arrived to find Jaylin dead on her trampoline.
Her cause of death was found to be dehydration and the police ruled her death a homicide.
An investigation showed that her adoptive parents, Daniel and Ashley, did not allow Jaylin to eat breakfast and forced her to jump on the trampoline as a sick form of punishment.
When she stopped jumping, Jaylin was refused water.
The trampoline was recorded to be a scorching 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and the ground was around 150 degrees.
Daniel Schwarz, 49, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years in jail.
Daniel initially pleaded not guilty but changed his plea after his wife, Ashley Schwarz, was found guilty of capital murder in May 2023.
A jury also convicted Ashley of intentionally causing serious bodily harm, and she was given three life sentences.
Jaylin’s siblings testified during Ashley’s trial that their parents regularly punished them by forcing them to jump on the trampoline for hours.
Jaylin, and her sister Jade, came under Ashley and Daniel’s care after Ashley’s step-sister Alysha Anderton lost custody after a battle with addiction.
Alysha said in an interview with local news: “What upsets me the most is that I never got to see her alive again.
“When they took them, I never got to say goodbye.”
Alysha posted her reaction to Daniel’s sentencing on Facebook.
She wrote: “Well…this is it babygirl.
“Until he meets Jesus face to face, there is no more forcefully given punishment we can give you for what they did.
“None of us believe that it’s a fair deal but we all trust that God has a plan for all of this.”
HandoutJaylin had been living with Daniel and Ashley for 4 years[/caption]
Family HandoutJaylin’s mum Alysha suffered from addiction[/caption]