A sick mum and dad have been jailed after ordering their eight-year-old daughter to jump on a trampoline in extreme heat without food or water, leading to her death. Daniel Schwarz was sentenced to 18 years in prison after he pled guilty to the manslaughter of his adopted daughter, Jaylin Schwarz, in Odessa, Texas. His wife, Ashley Schwarz, was found guilty of capital murder on May 1, 2023, and was given three life sentences.
Daniel initially pled not guilty but changed his plea after his wife, Ashley, was found guilty of Capital Murder on May 1, 2023. A jury also convicted Ashley of intentionally causing serious bodily injury, and she was given three life sentences for the brutal killing.
The horrific events happened nearly five years ago, on August 29, 2020, when Odessa Police responded to a medical call and found Jaylin dead at the scene. The couple adopted the 8-year-old and were her legal guardians at the time of her death.
She had been punished by the Schwarzes, which included not eating breakfast or drinking water and jumping on a trampoline without stopping. Coroners found that Jaylin died of dehydration after being made to jump on the trampoline in 43C heat, and it was ruled a homicide.
When she stopped jumping, Jaylin was refused water, according to police.
A search warrant revealed that the trampoline was at a scorching temperature of 110 degrees and the ground was approximately 150 degrees Fahrenheit.
Victim statements from the family read out during Ashley’s trial said that he showed no emotion during his daughter’s funeral.
Jaylin’s siblings testified during Ashley’s trial that their parents often punished them by forcing them to jump on the trampoline for hours.
Jaylin and her sister Jade came under the care of the couple after Ashley Schwarz’s step-sister Alysha Anderton lost custody due to a battle with addiction. In 2020, Alysha spoke to the news outlet KOSA about the tragedy. She said: “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 said that Jaylin had lived with Daniel and Ashley for four years. She added that the first time she saw Jaylin since losing custody was in a casket.
“That’s not fair to me. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t totally break down,” Alysha said.