Who is Ashley Marks? Texas insurance agent kills son, 6, using drugs to claim $100,000 coverage money
HOUSTON, TEXAS: A Houston mother has now been arrested after investigators found out that she used drugs to kill her 6-year-old son last year in order to accumulate insurance money. According to court documents filed in Harris County on Wednesday, March 31, 25-year-old Ashley Marks was charged in connection with the death of her son Jason Sanchez-Marks. Marks' charge is tied to a June 27, 2020, incident in which Jason died of an apparent overdose.
Prosecutors have accused Marks of administering toxic amounts of "Chlorpheniramine, Dextromethorphan, and Diphenhydramine with Methamphetamine," corroborated by the medical examiner's ruling on the boy's cause of death, according to documents. Outside of methamphetamine, two of the medicines – the chlorpheniramine and the diphenhydramine – are commonly known in over-the-counter antihistamines. The dextromethorphan is a cough suppressant. Further, prosecutors allege the boy was given narcotics.
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According to the CPS report, Jason and his younger sister had been staying with their grandfather for around two months when they became ill with tuberculosis. Marks came home and administered medication to Jason, but his sister refused to take it, according to the report. Over the course of two days, Jason became very ill and started vomiting, hallucinating and got insomnia, according to the report. Marks showed up twice and gave her son, NyQuil, according to the report. He died a couple of days later.
The autopsy report has ruled the boy’s death a homicide after finding toxic amounts of methamphetamine and cocaine and various antihistamines. The boy’s grandfather told Houston police that after Marks had given her son medicine, the boy started hallucinating and “believed there were bugs on his clothing” and that his grandson “became scared of his hallucinations,” according to court documents.
The grandfather, Adam Marks, told police that after he told his daughter that Jason had hallucinated after taking his medicine, she asked him to give him more. He told police he did not comply, according to court records. The boy and his sister were living with their grandfather at the time of his death. Adam also revealed that his daughter gave her son more medicine, NyQuil, a few hours before he died, police said.
According to the manufacturer, NyQuil should not be given to children under 12 years old. Marks appeared before a judge on Thursday, April 1 afternoon where prosecutors read the charge against her in court. According to prosecutors, Marks allegedly killed her son to collect on two life insurance policies totaling $100,000. The policies were taken out about a month before the boy’s death. Marks is a licensed insurance agent, police said.
Jason was buried in July 2020. His obituary stated he had just graduated from the first grade with an "excellent report card." He dreamt to work at the rodeo or being a firefighter, the online tribute stated. Jason was a "smart, caring child who loved to play with toy cars and dress up as a cowboy." "Jason had just graduated from first grade with an excellent report card, and he was looking forward to starting second grade. Jason loved drawing and watching movies with his family every night. Jason was loved by everyone that knew him, and he will be deeply missed."