Police: Mother tried to ‘sacrifice’ son before killing him, her daughter

ST. LOUIS (KMOV/Gray News) - One of the charges filed against 36-year-old Ashley Parmeley of Festus, Missouri, has been upgraded to first-degree murder.

On Tuesday, Parmeley was initially charged by the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office with second-degree murder after walking into the Festus Police Department and telling officers she killed her two children.

On Wednesday evening, the Jefferson County Prosecutor’s Office said that charge, which was for the death of her son, was upgraded to first-degree murder.

Earlier on Wednesday, the prosecuting attorney in St. Francois County also charged her with first-degree murder in connection with the death of her daughter.

Police said Parmeley tried to kill her son in St. Francois County before she shot her 9-year-old daughter Scarlet.

Documents state that video footage from a nearby camera showed Parmeley’s vehicle in the area, and a witness heard a gunshot.

According to police, Parmeley then started driving north with both kids in the car.

During the ride, she realized that her son 2-year-old son Isaac was still alive. She confessed to Festus police officers on Tuesday that she then drowned Isaac at Timber Creek Resort, according to investigators.

Documents allege the boy was found in the pool of a water fountain and was pronounced deceased.

According to court documents, Parmeley told officers she tried to “sacrifice” Isaac before she killed both kids.

Ginny Russell, who lives in the same neighborhood as Parmeley, said her daughter played with Scarlet.

“She was just an amazing little girl,” she said.

A unique vigil was held Wednesday evening for Scarlet and Isaac. All the games at the Twin Cities Little League ballfields were canceled except for the scheduled softball game for Scarlet’s team, the Pink Flamingos. At the start of the game, the team held a balloon release.

Brandy Trask also lives near the Parmeley home in Festus and her daughter also played with Scarlet. Trask said she saw the 9-year-old every day and didn’t see any signs that Scarlet was unhappy or had trouble at home.

“I can’t fathom why this would happen to anybody, let alone to two sweet children that had nothing but love in their hearts,” Trask said.

There were concerns about Parmeley’s mental health. In the hours leading up to her children’s killings, Parmeley changed her profile photo to a black screen.

In 2020, Parmeley posted about her struggle with depression. Part of her post read, “I isolated myself. I came off as very timid and unfriendly, and in all reality, I needed a friend more than anything. Always questioning if the kids would be happier or better off without me being their primary caregiver because I knew that they deserved a much better role model.”

Scarlet was scheduled to attend fourth grade at Festus Elementary School next year. On Wednesday, the school district made grief counselors available for students.

A GoFundMe page has been created to help Scarlet’s funeral costs, and another GoFundMe page was set up to help with Isaac’s expenses.