Charges against the parents of a 5-year-old boy who died at his aunt and uncle’s Ridgway apartment in 2015 have been dismissed.
Ashlee D. Druhot, 24, and Daniel J. Murphy, 27, both of Meadville, had each faced charges including involuntary manslaughter and endangering the welfare of a child for allegations that they left their son with their relatives while knowing the pair had a violent past.
Court records against the pair indicate all charges against them have been dropped.
However, the boy’s aunt and uncle — Kristy M. Murphy, 36, and Scott J. Murphy, 26 — still face charges including criminal homicide for the boy’s death, court records indicate.
Five-year-old O’Ryan Murphy and his 4-year-old brother were brought to live in Scott and Kristy Murphy’s 149 ½ Main St., Ridgway, apartment, on Dec. 3, 2015, according to officials.
On Feb. 3, 2016, first responders were called to the apartment, which was dirty and without heat, to find the boy had died of alleged blunt force trauma to the head. Police believe it was either Scott or Kristy Murphy who caused the injury.
Public Defender Tabia Cole, who was representing Druhot, explained on Friday that a petition for writ of habeas corpus that she filed was granted “because there was no factual basis for the charges against the mother.” Cole said the charges were dismissed on Monday.
She noted that a similar motion had been filed by Daniel Murphy’s attorney, Michael Marshall, but said she is only representing Druhot and cannot speak on Daniel Murphy’s case.
Marshall and Elk County District Attorney Shawn McMahon were not available for comment Friday afternoon.
An online court docket for Daniel Murphy shows that all charges against him were dismissed, too, which court records indicate happened on Friday.
Cole was sympathetic with the community’s reaction to the death of the child, but reiterated that there was no factual basis for the charges.
“I think at the end of the day it’s a very emotional case,” said Cole. “You’re talking about the death of a child.”
She said the community’s “outrage” is typical for such an emotional case.
“Oftentimes they get blinded by that,” she added.
Druhot had been incarcerated in lieu of $250,000 bail since May 5, 2016, and Daniel Murphy was incarcerated in lieu of $200,000 between May 5, 2016, and May 11, 2017, then in lieu of $25,000 ever since.
It was unclear as of press time Friday whether the pair had been released, though Cole said the charges will “will not result in any sort of (further) incarceration for (Druhot).”
Meanwhile, McMahon is pursuing the death penalty against Scott and Kristy Murphy, court records stated.
President Judge Richard Masson granted the appointment of special public defenders for the pair in July 2016. They are being held in Centre County Jail without bail.
