Bio

Ashley Cameron was born in 1987. Family members named in news reports include her father, Kent Cameron, and his long-time girlfriend, Tina Rose, who had been with Kent since Ashley was 13.

Those who knew her said she had trouble in social situations. Her father and Rose both said she often handled stress by making up stories or lying about small things.

A psychiatrist, Dr. Rodney Dean, said he first diagnosed her with pervasive developmental disorder when she was 14 during a single session. The diagnosis was described as a hereditary condition that can slow the development of social and communication skills. The condition was also described as sometimes causing clumsiness and academic problems.

Dr. Dean said people with that disorder may be more likely to change or adjust their stories when they are under pressure.

Murder Story

On Feb. 11, 2012, 15-month-old Markis Dahms drowned in the bathtub at a home in Onawa, Monona County, Iowa. An autopsy ruled the death a drowning and listed the manner of death as a homicide.

Ashley Cameron was arrested on April 18, 2012, in connection with Markis' death. Investigators interviewed her several times. She gave different versions of what happened that night.

In some statements, Cameron said she put water over Markis' head with a cup. In a written statement introduced at trial, she said she held his face under the running faucet five or six times. At trial, she testified that she left the bathroom to get shampoo and clothes and returned to find Markis face down in the water. She admitted leaving him unattended in the tub.

Paramedics and hospital staff suctioned large amounts of fluid from Markis. Testimony at trial said about 200 milliliters were removed in the ambulance and about 150 milliliters at the hospital. The medical examiner reported about 200 milliliters found in Markis' stomach during the autopsy. Deputy State Medical Examiner Dennis Klein testified about those findings and said he found old scarring on the child’s brain that could have caused seizures.

Cameron’s defense raised the possibility that Markis had a seizure while unattended in the tub. Psychiatrist Dr. Rodney Dean testified that Cameron had pervasive developmental disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder and that she sometimes had trouble giving a cohesive account of events. Several witnesses described episodes in which Markis arched his back.

Cameron waived her right to a jury trial. District Judge Jeffrey Neary reviewed the evidence and found prosecutors had not proven she acted with malice aforethought. In May 2013, Neary found Cameron guilty of involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment causing the death of a child. She was sentenced in late June 2013 to 50 years in prison.