Daycare Under Investigation After Death of 3-Year-Old in Park Hills

Park Hills, Mo. (KFMO) - A Park Hills daycare is under investigation after a 3-year-old boy, Conrad Ashcraft, died while in their care last Friday.

Days later, Conrad’s mother filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Poppy's Playhouse 2, alleging negligence and improper restraint practices. According to the lawsuit, a daycare employee forced Conrad to sleep by applying weight pressure to his body—allegedly using their legs—until he stopped moving.

The suit claims the child, who was nonverbal and had autism, was left in that position for hours. When his mother arrived around 4:15 p.m., she was told he was napping. Instead, she found him unresponsive, face down on a pillow. The lawsuit also accuses the daycare of failing to properly train and supervise staff and knowingly allowing unsafe techniques, including the use of weighted blankets and physical pressure to subdue children during nap time. Poppy’s Playhouse 2 is owned by Park Hills Councilwoman Spring Gray.

On Tuesday, Park Hills Mayor Stacy Easter released a statement saying, “Councilwoman Spring Gray has submitted her formal letter of resignation from her position as Ward 2 City Council member. I accept her resignation, effective immediately.”

The St. Francois County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s Office of Childhood are currently investigating the incident.