Texas couple who police say punished 8-year-old by forcing her to jump on a trampoline in scorching heat without water are charged with murder

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Texas couple who police say punished 8-year-old by forcing her to jump on a trampoline in scorching heat without water are charged with murder
Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, were both charged with the murder of Jaylin Anne Schwarz on October 12, 2020.Odessa Police Department
  • Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, were charged with capital murder in the death of Jaylin Anne Schwarz on August 29, the Odessa Police Department said in a statement last Monday.
  • The police said an investigation found that Jaylin had not been allowed to eat breakfast that day and was denied water "because she was not jumping," but they did not say why she was being punished.
  • Officers responding to a call about a medical emergency found that Jaylin had died and recorded a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit on the trampoline and about 150 degrees on the ground, the police said.
  • The pair were taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center, and jail records show that their bond was set at $500,000 each. It's unclear whether they have lawyers yet.
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A Texas couple were charged with murder in the death of an 8-year-old girl who investigators found was forced to jump continuously on a trampoline in scorching heat without water as a punishment, the Odessa Police Department said in a statement last Monday.

Daniel Schwarz, 44, and Ashley Schwarz, 34, were charged with capital murder in the death of Jaylin Anne Schwarz on August 29, the police said.

The police said an investigation found that Jaylin had not been allowed to eat breakfast that day and was denied water "because she was not jumping," but they did not say why she was being punished.

Officers responding to a medical-emergency call found that Jaylin had died and recorded a temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit on the trampoline and about 150 degrees on the ground, the police said.

The department said the final autopsy report listed the manner of death as homicide and the cause of death as dehydration.

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The department said the pair were taken to the Ector County Law Enforcement Center, and jail records show that their bond was set at $500,000 each. It's unclear whether they have lawyers yet.

Jaylin's online obituary said that she "was full of life, loved horseback riding, ice skating, and all things outdoors." It added that she "loved all people and animals, and was very interested in history and science."

The obituary lists Jaylin's parents as David Retherford and Alysha Anderton. She was under the Schwarzes' guardianship at the time of her death, the Dallas Morning News reported.

According to the Morning News, Anderton, who had been trying to get access to Jaylin and her sister, Jayde, wrote on Facebook: "I was too late. And all I can think about is her leaving this world not knowing how much I love her and how much I wanted her.

"It's not fair that they got so many memories with her and all I'm left with is a hole in my heart that's so big that I'm completely numb and empty. A part of my soul has died and I will never be the same ever again."

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A GoFundMe campaign was created to help with Jaylin's burial and legal fees and with Anderton's battle for custody of Jayde.

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