Ashton held for trial in little girl's beating death

A grieving mother said she never dreamed her sister-in-law would harm her little girl.

"I had trusted her, loved her like a sister," Rhonda Edinger of Connoquenessing Township said about Melissa Ashton, who is accused of beating Edinger's 3-year-old daughter, Taylor Nick, to death.

"She stole my little girl away," Rhonda Edinger said. "There is still anger in my heart."

Edinger, who was wearing a pin of a silver heart with a bandage across it Wednesday, tearfully showed off a picture of her daughter, dressed in a white sun dress and with her arms crossed over her head as she playfully smiled at the camera.

Edinger had just attended Ashton's preliminary hearing before Evans City District Justice Kelley Streib.

Streib ordered Ashton, 22, of Knauf Lane, Jackson Township, to stand trial on charges of criminal homicide, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of a child. A charge of aggravated assault was dropped.

Ashton, wearing a blue prison uniform as she appeared in Streib's office, rocked back and forth during testimony about the injuries Taylor received.

Ashton appeared much more gaunt than when arrested Oct. 30. Since that time, she gave birth to her third child while incarcerated in the Butler County Jail. The child now is in the custody of Ashton's common-law husband, Anthony Edinger, who is the brother of Rhonda Edinger.

Dr. Rachel Berger, a pediatrician from Childrens' Hospital of Pittsburgh, Oakland, testified that Taylor died from blows to the head caused by another person. Taylor was being treated at the hospital and was declared dead Nov. 1.

Raymond Melder, a Pennsylvania State Police corporal, said Ashton confessed to shaking and beating Taylor. Melder said Ashton told him she had slammed Taylor to the ground at least four times and lifted her about 18 to 24 inches off the ground.

"She said she didn't mean to hurt her but was displeased that she was having to cook, clean and take care of everybody in the house," Melder said.

Taylor and her family were staying with Ashton's family for two days while they were preparing to move into a new apartment.Melder said Ashton eventually confessed to punishing Taylor because the child wet the bed and lied about it. The trooper said Ashton told him she originally denied beating Taylor because "she did not want to spend the rest of her life in jail."While Melder spoke about the case, Ashton repeatedly shook her head.

As Ashton was led out of the courtroom, she tearfully hugged her parents and her husband. Ashton's family did not comment.Ashton's attorney, James Donohue, said after the hearing that he will introduce evidence in her trial that doesn't support Berger's claim of how Taylor died. He said he also will question the validity of Ashton's confession to state troopers while she was 8 1/2 months pregnant and had been in custody for 16 hours.

After the hearing, Rhonda Edinger said her three other children still ask about Taylor and do not understand exactly what happened to her.

Rhonda Edinger said she understands that two wrongs do not make a right, but that she wants justice for the death of her daughter.

"I want to see her in prison for life," Rhonda Edinger said.

Ashton is scheduled for a formal arraignment Feb. 4 in Butler County Common Pleas Court. She remains in the Butler County Jail.

Staff writer Dominick DiRienzo contributed to this story.