*Trigger *Discussion Accused: A mother on trial

[LemonadeFromLemons]

Just popped this thread on for discussion about this programme (on bbc iplayer), i.e. for those who have watched all of it. Don’t feel right calling it a spoiler thread as it’s not a drama, it really happened and a poor baby died.

That poor baby, and the poor man who heard her
Do you think her first husband knew? I don't believe for a minute the baby was left in the hope she would be found though, not out in the open like that. The lack of blood in the car is strange.

@LoseLooseLucy

The lack of blood in the car, the amount of blood the mother had lost and the first husbands claim that he didn’t think anything of the amount of blood in his house (given the police scene photos) made me think it was him. At first I’d thought neither of them knew she was pregnant, she gave birth and there was so much trauma she couldn’t remember it. Meanwhile he’d taken baby to the park.

Then we found out she had known about the pregnancy and I thought okay she had a mental health problem that meant she convinced herself she wasn’t.

It was when she got married and only two weeks later told her new husband about the charges she was facing that I thought it more likely to be her than her first husband.

It’s a good question regarding the second husband knowing, I don’t think he knew knew, as in he wasn’t there, he must have thought something about all the blood though!

Also, yes, there was no way she could have believed that leaving a baby in a park in the night in Alaska would not result in the baby’s death. She also admitted that she chose her husband over the baby.

Did we find out how she got to hospital the next day, I was unsure if I missed that part?
I felt that her lawyer was looking at her a little “hmm” towards the end. I can’t see why she would still protect him, but surely her first husband would have realised she was pregnant, especially after how big she looked with her third?
And what a coincidence he (first husband) just happened to be out for a few hours the night she went into labour... Seems there are a few things missing, how did she not get blood in the car when it was definitely her car picked up on CCTV?
I started out feeling very sorry for her but at the end I felt she deserved a hefty sentence.

I’ve just watched it all... I don’t think I believe her version of events. She lost so much blood but managed to drive fine, without leaving any trace in the car? Her husband had no idea she was pregnant; despite her looking pretty big in her third pregnancy, and happened to be out for the whole time... and he changed his story about going into the bathroom but claimed he didn’t know she’d had a baby. So she’d just left an insane amount of blood everywhere? And he lost half an hour somewhere but nobody really explored that, I guess because she took a plea deal.

Her breaking her bail conditions to see her new husband and then not telling him she was facing murder 2 charges until they were married seemed to show a bit of a different side to her.

Did her first daughter go to live with her dad? She didn’t seem to be mentioned by anyone again, not the dad during interviews, or Ashley or her mum.

Her prison interview where she said she didn’t remember much but knew her first husband wasn’t involved and that she’d left the baby out thinking someone would find her just didn’t seem genuine, and I wonder if the therapy has helped her to build a sort of version of events to then try to live with.

But overall there seemed to be a lot of questions that weren’t addressed much legally.

I ended up binge watching this last night. I still have so many questions. Maybe they were answered but weren't mentioned in the documentary. As HopeAndDriftWood said I didn't really buy her 'confession' at the end. I lost a lot of blood when I gave birth (not sure it was over half of the amount in my body though) and I literally couldn't stand up. I can't believe she manged to carry a baby to a car, drive it and then get out to place the baby in the woods and drive back again after having lost so much blood. I also can't understand how there wasn't a single drop of blood in that pristinely clean car.

The documentary wasn't really clear on the timeline. What time did the husband say he returned home? I thought it was about 1ish and I thought the car being seen at the park was about 1.30ish? I thought it made more sense after what she said at the end that he returned home, found she'd given birth told her it was him or the baby and she choose him and it was him who abandonned the baby. Maybe he said he would leave it where it would easily be found and it was him who deliberately left her in the park?

Who called the ambulance and at what time? I got the impression it was 5/6 in the morning but after the baby was found.

I did see her in a different light after after she got married to the second husband very quickly without telling him about her background. Also when she was breaking all the bail conditions she just seemed like a reckless teenager rather than a fully grown woman. I was surprised that her mother hadn't made her tell him before the wedding. She did seem adept at not facing up to the reality at times.

Well I watched the last 2 episodes today. I still don't understand how she was able to drive the baby to the park and leave no traces of blood in her car ffs!

I really think this is all down to the first husband Kennard. He probably took the baby and dumped it for her. But she let him. To 'save' her marriage.

On a more positive note, her second husband Byron seems lovely. Hope he doesn't/didn't return from Afghanistan and develop PTSD afterwards!

Also, what happened to her first daughter with Kennard? Is the grandmother raising her as well as the new baby girl?!?

And another thing. Where were her best friends towards the end of her 2nd pregnancy? They knew she was carrying another man's baby!

I think Ashley's mum's past has a lot to answer for in all this. It's obviously caused some lasting trauma as I get the feeling Ashley just wants to be loved and will go to any lengths to get that love, as it was missing from her childhood 😢

*Meredusoleil The best friends were 4000 miles away in Virginia (I think). I got the impression from the friend who was anti abortion but was going to support her anyway just didn't ask any questions once she left to go to Alaska. Possibly because she didn't want to hear she'd had an abortion so just didn't ask. Very odd. Or maybe they did discuss it but didn't want to say so after the birth because it would have gone against the idea that Ashley was a pregnancy denier.

I don't know anything about US law just UK but I was surprised that the solicitor didn't didn't push for infanticide but maybe there's no such thing in US law.

And no I couldn't work out where her first daughter went. I actually assume to the paternal grand parents. I wouldn't have thought they'd have given her to Ashley's family as they wouldn't trust them not the allow Ashley to have free access to the child. They only allowed the eldest child to have limited supervised contact with the eldest.,

I agree with pp that Rex the lawyer seemed to have lost hope a bit towards the end. It was like the fight had been knocked out of him.

They should have put more pressure on Ashley to tell the whole truth. Maybe even take a lie detector test.

Also, why didn't they enlarge the CCTV images of the car in the park? Surely, with all the modern technology available nowadays, they could have enhanced the picture enough to see who was driving the car that night?!?

with the eldest.

'with Ashley' obviously

Also, why didn't they enlarge the CCTV images of the car in the park? Surely, with all the modern technology available nowadays, they could have enhanced the picture enough to see who was driving the car that night?!?

The cctv was poor quality. There's not much you can do with it. The windows all seemed very dark I thought it must have had tinted windows but I could be wrong. I did think there should have been more cctv on the suspected route though..

I may be wrong, but I thought on watching the CCTV that the car seemed to be going slowly and hesitantly, perhaps like it was being driven by someone who was feeling unwell?

I also wondered why Kennard would leave the baby in that particular place? Wouldn't he either leave the baby somewhere warm and sheltered, where she would be found, or somewhere very remote and wild, where she would die and not be found for a really long time/ever? Why leave her in a park, where she would probably die overnight, but then be found the next day? Their car could then be tracked down on CCTV. Isn't it more likely that Ashley wanted to dump the baby somewhere remote, but was too unwell to travel further afield (or just not thinking straight)?

We only really got one side of the story and I'd have liked to know what evidence the prosecution had. So the defense say that a) Ashley was extremely unwell after losing five pints of blood, b) there was no trace of blood in the car and c) Kennard supposedly had a big chunk of time missing from his alibi in which he could have disposed of the baby. If those basic parts of the story are all true, and if this had happened in the UK, then there's absolutely no way a jury would decide she was guilty beyond reasonable doubt (even with the hospital confession, which could be easily explained away). Maybe things are very different in the US, but I don't get why Ashley's lawyer would be so pessimistic about her chances. Unless we weren't getting the full story.

I'd like to know who called the ambulance for Ashley, and at what time. I don't think that was ever addressed was it?

@Untangled87

I may be wrong, but I thought on watching the CCTV that the car seemed to be going slowly and hesitantly, perhaps like it was being driven by someone who was feeling unwell?

I also wondered why Kennard would leave the baby in that particular place? Wouldn't he either leave the baby somewhere warm and sheltered, where she would be found, or somewhere very remote and wild, where she would die and not be found for a really long time/ever? Why leave her in a park, where she would probably die overnight, but then be found the next day? Their car could then be tracked down on CCTV. Isn't it more likely that Ashley wanted to dump the baby somewhere remote, but was too unwell to travel further afield (or just not thinking straight)?

We only really got one side of the story and I'd have liked to know what evidence the prosecution had. So the defense say that a) Ashley was extremely unwell after losing five pints of blood, b) there was no trace of blood in the car and c) Kennard supposedly had a big chunk of time missing from his alibi in which he could have disposed of the baby. If those basic parts of the story are all true, and if this had happened in the UK, then there's absolutely no way a jury would decide she was guilty beyond reasonable doubt (even with the hospital confession, which could be easily explained away). Maybe things are very different in the US, but I don't get why Ashley's lawyer would be so pessimistic about her chances. Unless we weren't getting the full story.

I'd like to know who called the ambulance for Ashley, and at what time. I don't think that was ever addressed was it?

Agreed about it likely to have had a different outcome had it been in the UK!

There must have been more information that wasn't shared with viewers, as no jury in their right mind would agree that Ashley's confession would stand up in court, as 2 hours after the incident has got to be considered duress surely?!?

Gosh. I've just watched this, it was an extremely slow paced show. Lots of nothingness and lots of things not mentioned. Pretty low quality. Not really investigative.

I’ve watched the first episode tonight and decided to read the above comments. I agree with Downudderer that’s it’s very slow paced, not really investigative and of poor quality. I have therefore decided not to see subsequent episodes – it’ll just be a waste of my time.

Just watched the final episode - not what I was expecting at all. It seems to me like a gross miscarriage of justice. Lost half her blood, weak and confused, no blood in the car, in denial over the pregnancy, abusive husband, husband's unexplained disappearance, possible post partum psychosis. I think Kennard took the baby. The very fact that the bathroom looked like the chainsaw massacre yet not a drop of blood in the car - it should have been thrown out of court. On the other hand, she gets pregnant when she has an affair, then gets pregnant very quickly by the adorable Byron. Hasn't she heard of contraception? And appalling to not tell him about the case until after they were married. Andthen she confesses a year later after therapy. But I think if she hadn't confessed and therefore is denying manslaughter - that would put her back to second degree murder and 20-99 years in prison, or at the very least the full 20 years (or 12 - maybe they wouldn't be able to change that). Whereas by confessing and therefore upholding the manslaughter plea, perhaps she'd get out a bit early. I think she'd just been convinced by therapy etc that she'd done it. And she's a soldier so would have had first aid & survival training so no way would she have just left the baby in the middle of a park. All very strange. I think Kennard dunnit.

Saw this thread yesterday and doing my civic duty and staying at home binged watched it!

I think I changed my mind about 6 times over the 4 episodes.

And whilst her confession at the end is her admitting it I cannot get out of my mind that the original investigation in the immediate was floored and that therefore an injustice has occurred somewhere whether she was involved knowingly or not.

The 2 things being she was interviewed for 2 hours after losing pints of blood and against the wishes of doctors and proper practice.

It was never investigated why the car had no blood or even traces of blood.

In all honesty I don't even think she knows what happened that night and has created a narrative around the facts that everyone else said happened.

Very sad.

Oh and the other thing - was it 3 years later the man came forward about the crying in the park? Seriously? You don't report that immediately when a huge case is happening.

I would love to know if that witness knows or has any connection to the first husband?

Agree with recent posts that the investigation was definitely flawed and full of inconsistency. A miscarriage of justice if ever I saw one.

Although also agree that the speed at which she was moving on from one man to another and having babies with then, wasn't right either. Issues from her absent father in childhood I reckon!

Although also agree that the speed at which she was moving on from one man to another and having babies with then, wasn't right either. Issues from her absent father in childhood I reckon

We spent about 4 weeks self isolating and I watched loads of crap TV, lots of 'documentaries' about young girls in America getting married, being abused etc. One thing that seemed so odd to me was that people seemed to get married at the drop of a hat to someone they met last week and were pregnant by week 2. I do wonder if this is a Bible belt mentality or very strict upbringing in US that leads to this.

On a side note Byron seemed lovely and so remarkably calm under the circumstances.

Has Ashley been sentenced? If so how many years? I couldn't finish the series, it had so many gaps that I felt it was a waste of time.

Yes Ashley got sentenced. She was given 9 years. It could have been up to 20 years apparently, so I think she got off quite lightly.

But I also think what you said about the Bible belt being a factor, could be part of the problem too 👍

Did anyone else think the defence lawyer wasn't as sharp as the prosecutor?
He should definitely have picked holes in the witness who - three years after a case on the all the news channels - decided to come forward and say he heard crying. Did he just want a moment of fame in the court? That was my first thought.
I did feel that with all her terrible childhood trauma Ashley was damaged in trying to find love with an abusive husband like her abusive father. As Freud says ''They may not remember the original trauma, but they continually re-enact it.'
Still, I find it difficult to comprehend how she could legally have terminated an eleven week pregnancy but when she (or her first husband in my opinion) left the baby in the playground, she faced a life sentence and many people were calling for the death-sentence! Harsh.

Shocking - her lawyer for all his showing off and flashiness was utterly useless.He just seemed to give up. Even if she had done it - ie if the car was covered in blood - she should have got off because of her mental state. But she clearly didn't. Maybe some racism involved too.

I agree re the lawyer. I think he thought at some point she'd suddenly 'remember' what happened (probably that Kennard took the baby) but when she didn't it was like he lost all interest. Having said that maybe his opinion of Ashley changed with her behaviour regarding Byron. She didn't seem quite so 'nice' then. She was more like a petulant teenager. I also think the fact she did try and organise an abortion may have contradicted the 'pregnancy denier' angle.

I also think her 'confession' in prison was more that she felt responsible for what happened rather than she had physically left the baby in the park. She said she was responsible because she choose a man over her baby. I think Kennard came home when she'd given birth and basically told her it was him or the baby and she choose him. He may have told her he would put the baby somewhere safe where someone would find it. So she feels morally responsible even though she didn't physically abandon her baby.

Things were clearly going on between her giving birth and calling an ambulance. You would have thought that an ambulance would have been called straight away once Kennard got home (about 1am) but I think it was hours later that they called for an ambulance when she would clearly have been in need of medical intervention.