The morning of December 3rd, 2015 started like any other. Ashley Fields woke up and began to get her oldest daughter, Lexi, ready for school at about five o’clock in the morning. Around seven o’clock, she found herself calling 9-1-1. Her youngest, Adalyn Marie Fields, was not breathing. Adalyn, or better known as Addie, was only five months old.

After a rush to Walker Baptist Hospital, Addie was transported to Children’s Hospital. One day later on December 4th, Adalyn Marie Fields passed away. When abuse trauma specialist Dr. Michael Taylor saw Addie, he already knew the cause of death. There was bruising around the girl’s abdomen and chin, she had broken ribs, and her eyes had suffered hemorrhaging (this is one of the key indicators that a child has been abused). Dr. Taylor also saw that her brain had swollen in a way that often happens in what is called “acceleration deceleration.” In laymen’s terms, the baby was a victim of “shaken baby syndrome.” In fact, in his witness testimony, Dr. Taylor actually says, “Someone shook the crap out of that baby.” Addie’s cause of death is listed as homicide.

Two people were charged in the case; Allen Ogles and Ashley Fields were charged with capital murder of Addie since they were the only ones around her during the time she was critically injured. Allen Ogles was the boyfriend of Ashley Fields. A year after their arrests, Allen came forward and offered to testify to everything he knew. However, he did not claim to know if Ashley committed the murder or not, but that he would testify to times he had been concerned about Ashley with the baby. Allen Ogles currently resides in the Winston County Jail. Ashley Fields is an inmate in Cullman County Detention Center.

Judge Lee Carter presided over the trial. The head prosecutor from the District Attorney’s Office was Neal Cook, accompanied by prosecutor Rachel Smith. Both have worked on the case for over 2 years. After a 2 week long trial, the jury returned a verdict on August 10, 2018. Ashley Brooke Goven Fields was found guilty of felony murder. Felony murder is charged when a person commits a felony and in the course of it, someone dies. The jury found that Ashley had committed the felony of child abuse that ultimately ended the life of her child.

Sentencing is set for 12 September at 1 p.m.