This chilling story began with Jessica and Daniel Groves, a couple married for over a decade, residing in a trailer in Ottawa, Ohio, with their 14-year-old son, Daniel Groves Jr.. Jessica, formerly a licensed practical nurse, had an expired license, and Daniel was employed by a farm supply company. As 2018 progressed, the couple succumbed to drug addiction. Jessica reportedly became aware of her pregnancy only in mid-October when she was already five and a half months along, informing Daniel weeks later.
On January 10, 2019, Jessica and Daniel arrived at the hospital, with Jessica already in advanced labor. Hospital staff reported that Jessica refused to answer questions or submit to a drug test, necessitating a urine sample taken via catheter, which tested positive for drugs. Due to a lack of medical records and her unresponsiveness, staff were unable to administer pain medication, believing she appeared intoxicated. This approach was intended to more accurately identify drugs in the baby's system for better treatment. Baby Dylan was born prematurely and immediately required oxygen. Disturbingly, neither Daniel nor Jessica reportedly inquired about their baby's condition. Dylan's urine also tested positive for drugs, and the tiny infant quickly exhibited signs of withdrawal.
Dylan remained in the hospital for five days while Children's Services devised a plan for his release to Daniel, who they believed was clean. The plan stipulated that Jessica was not to live in the house and would have limited contact with Dylan. However, the hospital denied this initial plan after testing Dylan's umbilical cord, which revealed the presence of methamphetamines, amphetamines, fentanyl, and opiates, including morphine. Consequently, Children's Services decided to place Dylan in foster care.
Andrea Bolling, a local school teacher, became Dylan's foster parent. After her own son had grown and gone to college, she felt compelled to help other children, undergoing a rigorous licensing process that included 40 hours of training, a drug test, a medical physical, a federal background check, and a home inspection. It was noted that none of these requirements were in place for Dylan to be returned to his biological father. Andrea, who had previously fostered two siblings, received a call on January 15, 2019, asking if she could foster a baby. After teaching, she promptly acquired diapers and clothes, arriving at the hospital to pick up Dylan around 6 PM. Her community rallied around her; friends and family provided essential items, including a crib, a rocker recliner, and a high-tech "Mamaroo" device similar to those used in hospitals. Within a day, a room was prepared for Dylan, indicating a swift and compassionate response from Andrea's support system. Andrea testified that she took 12 days off work, planning for more, to dedicate her attention to Dylan. She described Dylan's continued withdrawal symptoms, including shaking arms, twitching legs, and a constant need to be held, finding comfort when wrapped tightly in a blanket. Andrea also recounted a visitation where she suspected Jessica was under the influence, a concern she reported to Children's Services.
Despite Andrea's warning, on January 28, Children's Services placed Dylan back into Daniel's care, based on their original plan. This decision was reportedly influenced by Daniel's employment at Rural King and his claim of having six months of leave available. His work history seemingly led them to believe he was drug-free due to random drug tests. Dylan was seen by a pediatrician on February 7 and February 21, who reported he was progressing well and showed no injuries. Weekly home visits with Children's Services were mandated but did not appear to occur consistently. A social worker did visit on March 28, observing Dylan being held by Jessica and noting no visible injuries. This was the last time Dylan was seen alive.
Daniel then began missing various appointments, including Children's Services visits, court dates, and doctor's appointments. Children's Services attempted to contact him for two months without success. They eventually contacted his employer, who revealed Daniel had not worked there since mid-2018. Authorities even approached Daniel Jr.'s school to inquire about his father's whereabouts. The sheriff's department became involved, and on one occasion, Daniel fled when approached near his home. On April 24, Children's Services placed Daniel Jr. in foster care. On that same date, Jessica had ominously written "worst day ever" on her calendar.
On June 10, 2019, the Scioto County Sheriff's Department, Southern Ohio Drug Task Force, and Ohio State Patrol surrounded Daniel and Jessica Groves' residence with a warrant. Jessica opened the door, reportedly belligerent and claiming Daniel was not home. A robot was deployed to search the house, but Daniel was not found. Jessica was arrested for questioning. Sheriff's Detective Jody Conkle, assigned to the case, initially knew only that a child was missing. When questioned, Jessica claimed Children's Services had taken Dylan, a statement Detective Conkle knew was false, as Children's Services had reported him missing.
Daniel returned to the house while Jessica was being questioned and was promptly arrested. Detective Conkle interviewed him, and he initially repeated Jessica's story about Children's Services taking Dylan. The detective testified that Daniel appeared "dope sick," at one point lying on the floor, moaning, and passing gas. Eventually, Daniel reportedly broke down and stated he had found Dylan dead in his crib, claiming the baby was uninjured and had died of natural causes. When Detective Conkle returned to Jessica with Daniel's confession, Jessica remained unresponsive. Daniel finally agreed to reveal where he had disposed of the body.
On June 10, Daniel led Captain John Murphy, Detective Matt Spencer, and others, including canine units, to a location where he claimed Dylan's body would be. Despite hours of searching a hilly, creek-ridden area, and around the residence, nothing was found. Daniel had described the baby being in "some type of container" but could not recall what kind. Detective Conkle noted that in other cases, even with animal activity, something is always found, but in this instance, there was nothing.
The following day, Detective Conkle interviewed Daniel again, who insisted he had told the truth about the body's location. He repeatedly asked to see Jessica, and Detective Conkle allowed it, a decision that proved beneficial. During their supervised visit, Daniel and Jessica had a casual conversation about their charges before beginning to whisper about what they had told the authorities. They seemed aware the interview was recorded or monitored but apparently believed their whispering would not be picked up. A recording expert noted that in a quiet room, even a cheap microphone would pick up everything. Despite poor audio quality, Daniel was clearly heard saying he had taken authorities "somewhere else" instead of where Dylan was. After discussing their charges and their fabricated story, they spent the remainder of their time complaining about jail conditions and expressing concern for their dogs. It was observed that neither parent expressed any concern for their children, only for their dogs, except when trying to avoid implication in Dylan's murder.
Armed with this damning information, Detective Conkle resumed her interview with Daniel, confronting him about lying and taking them to the wrong place. She stated that she had heard him admit it during his conversation with Jessica, emphasizing that their entire conversation was recorded. Daniel reportedly feigned ignorance but eventually realized his error. He had claimed Dylan died of natural causes without injury but did not want the body found, likely because authorities would discover this was untrue. He continued to deny misdirecting them and again shifted focus to his dogs, even when Detective Conkle brought up Daniel Jr..
Daniel eventually relented and agreed to lead them to the correct disposal site. He initially pointed to a grassy area, but Detective Conkle, recognizing the deception, told him she knew he was lying. Finally, Daniel pointed to an old spring well about a hundred yards away, a deep hole dug to access a natural spring, often overgrown and difficult to see. Police contacted the fire department, who had to carry their equipment to the well due to its inaccessibility. Attempts to pump out the water were largely ineffective due to the powerful natural spring.
Their only remaining option was to "fish" for the object using connected straps and a hook. With remarkable luck, firefighters hooked an object weighing about 80 pounds, requiring multiple men to pull it to the surface. It was two plastic milk crates, secured together with a heavy chain, three padlocks, zip ties, and copper wire. Inside were 18 large rocks and an infant's body, wrapped in seven layers of plastic and duct tape, with a heavy iron ring, likely a flange, placed around the body to prevent it from floating.
The medical examiner testified that Dylan weighed four pounds eight ounces and was 20 inches long, noting decomposition would cause some weight loss. An external examination revealed dark discoloration on the back of his head, a bruise on his chest, bruising on his scalp above his eyes, and a laceration on his left arm. Beneath these external injuries, multiple fractures were found: his left humerus (upper arm bone), both bones of his left forearm (radius and ulna), and his left tibia (shin bone) were fractured. Additionally, his left ribs, specifically ribs six and seven, showed large nodular areas consistent with old, healing fractures. The medical examiner confirmed that the rib fractures had calcification, indicating they had been healing for some time, while the other fractures showed no signs of healing, suggesting they occurred at or near the time of death.
Dylan also had two skull fractures on the parietal bones. One, on the right side, showed minor tissue formation and signs of healing, while the other, on the left, showed no signs of healing. The medical examiner concluded there were at least three separate violent events leading up to Dylan's death: one causing the rib fractures (oldest), another causing the first skull fracture (some healing), and a final event causing the second skull fracture, multiple broken arms, and a broken leg, likely resulting in his death. Although decomposition prevented a specific cause of death, it was believed he was deceased when placed in the well. The liquid inside Dylan's skull was pink, which the medical examiner attributed to brain bleeding at the time of death, as decomposed brain fluid is typically gray or tan. A test of Dylan's liver was positive for methamphetamines and amphetamines, confirming he ingested these drugs after birth, as the drugs from birth would have cleared his system. The exact method of ingestion remained unconfirmed, with possibilities including secondhand exposure or breast milk, though the hospital stated Jessica was not breastfeeding. Dylan was just under three months old, 11 weeks exact, and at his last doctor's visit, weighed seven pounds 15 ounces, still the size of a newborn, highlighting the extreme vulnerability of the victim.
Jessica eventually admitted to causing the injuries but maintained they were accidental. She claimed Daniel was not involved in Dylan's death and was unaware of the injuries. Despite her admission, the case proceeded to trial, with defense lawyers attempting to clear Daniel of murder charges, arguing his involvement was limited to body disposal. The prosecution questioned how one could fail to notice a baby with a skull fracture, bruised head, bruised chest, severely broken arm, and broken leg, or wrap such a body without awareness of the injuries. Daniel Jr. testified that he saw black and purple bruising and swelling on Dylan's head, which started to fade before the baby disappeared, likely witnessing the first skull fracture.
When Daniel was asked if he recalled telling Detective Conkle that he saw his wife hit the baby, he claimed these were "dreams" due to sleep deprivation. He eventually conceded he had "somewhere around there" seen her strike the baby four times, reportedly because she was agitated and aggravated when Dylan wouldn't stop crying, stating that if he bought her cocaine, she wouldn't act that way. Daniel admitted this gave him cause for concern about Dylan's safety, but he reportedly did nothing: he did not call Children's Services, the police, Andrea Bolling, or neighbors. He also did not remove Jessica from the house, despite her not being permitted to live there. The prosecution argued that Daniel "absolutely knew what was going on" but did nothing due to their shared drug addiction and selfishness.
Jessica sought to gain the jury's sympathy by portraying the events as accidental, but this required her to face cross-examination. When pressed by the prosecutor about how she caused the severe injuries, her responses were evasive, repeatedly stating "I don't remember" or claiming she dropped him. She stated nothing she did was intentional and claimed she had to live with the consequences. When the prosecutor challenged her, she accused them of having "devoured" her family. The prosecutor highlighted the audacity of someone who murdered their two-and-a-half-month-old baby, causing eight bone fractures, yet still blamed others for their family's destruction. Jessica's counsel had to explain that she needed to answer questions or face contempt charges. She maintained her lack of memory, blaming her "mind wasn't clear" due to drugs. She denied attacking Dylan and could not recall how many "accidents" occurred despite being confronted with the evidence of two fractured ribs, a skull fracture with bruising, another skull fracture, a broken arm in three places, and a broken shin. The prosecution inferred she was either lying or too high to recall the repeated abuse that led to Dylan's death.
During closing arguments, the prosecution contrasted the parents' lack of concern at the hospital with their later behavior. They pointed out that Dylan was always wrapped and held by Jessica during social worker visits, suggesting it was to hide injuries. They argued Daniel knew what was happening and prioritized keeping his wife out of jail over protecting his son. The prosecutor also challenged the defense's claim that Daniel "panicked" when disposing of the body, pointing to the elaborate concealment: a chain, three padlocks, 12 zip ties, eight wire ties, 18 rocks, and six layers of plastic and duct tape. This, they argued, demonstrated "extreme planning" rather than panic. This elaborate "coffin and burial" for Dylan was presented as proof beyond a reasonable doubt of their complicity in murder.
Jessica Groves was found guilty on all 11 counts and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus 32 years. Daniel Groves was acquitted of aggravated murder but found guilty on the remaining 10 counts and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 47 years. The sources convey the profound tragedy of parents who allowed drugs to become more important than their children, leading to unspeakable violence against a vulnerable infant.