Now, she is looking for justice.
Ashley Gathard says her daughter, Fallon Murdock, died on March 30th in Klamath County.
She’s living out of state, but said she was told by the sheriff’s office that the conditions of the home Fallon was living in, was appalling.
Gathard said, “they killed her in my opinion.”
Gathard said she gave up custody of her daughter because she believed it would give her a better life.
Now, she’s learning about the conditions Fallon was forced to live in.
Gathard said, “she lived in complete squalor. She lived in a separate house from them that had no heat. She had no heat, no running water in that house. There was feces and urine all over.”
Gathard now lives in Wisconsin, but recently came back to Klamath County for a vigil for 14-year Fallon.
She hasn’t been inside the home, but said the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office told her Fallon was forced to use a bucket or a nearby pond to use the bathroom.
She said a deputy even told her Fallon’s spinal cord fluid was murky, which is typically only found in people who live in extremely over-crowded spaces.
“They also hadn’t been to doctors in a really long time or school,” Gathard said, “I thought they had good lives, or I would have went back sooner.”
Gathard said there hasn’t been much communication from law enforcement since the initial call and the state department of human services hasn’t been much help to her either.
Gathard said her son was also living in the same house as Fallon, he has since been removed from the house and is now living with his grandparents.
Going forward, Gathard wants to hold DHS accountable for the living conditions her daughter was subjected to.
“There was multiple reports made and I have lists of people who have called DHS and I fully intend to take on DHS as well if that’s what needs to be done,” Gathard said.
The DHS told NBC5 it can’t comment on child welfare cases due to privacy laws.
But it did send a statement that says in part, “Anytime a child dies, it is a tragedy for their family, friends and community.”
Though the sheriff’s office did confirm it is working the case, it said it can’t comment on an active investigation.
UPDATE:
The biological mother of a 14 year-old that died in Klamath County recently is considering her legal options.
Fallon Murdock’s mother said she complained to the Oregon Department of Human Services about the conditions her child was living in.
She clarified Fallon was living with her biological father along with her brother, who has since been removed from the home.
The Oregon DHS tells us it can’t comment on child welfare cases due to privacy laws.
The Klamath County Sheriff’s Office said it cannot comment on the case either, but it did confirm it’s investigating.
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