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Houston woman accused of causing drug-induced death of 6-year-old son for insurance money

HOUSTON — A Houston woman is accused of killing her 6-year-old son with drugs to collect insurance money, according to court records.

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Ashley Marks, 25, was arrested Wednesday and charged with capital murder in the June 27, 2020, death of Jason Sanchez-Marks, according to Harris County Sheriff’s Office online booking records. Marks was denied bail during a hearing Thursday.

According to prosecutors, Marks allegedly killed her son to collect on two life insurance policies totaling $100,000, KTRK reported.

According to the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences, the boy’s cause of death was the toxic effects of chlorpheniramine, dextromethorphan and diphenhydramine with methamphetamine, the Houston Chronicle reported. Prosecutors allege that Marks caused the boy’s death by administering those drugs, according to the newspaper.

Chlorpheniramine is an antihistamine that is sold over the counter as ChlorTrimeton and Diabetic Tussin, KPRC reported. Diphenhydramine is an allergy medicine that is sold over the counter as Benadryl, among other names. Dextromethorphan is a cough medicine that is sold over the counter as Delsym and Robitussin, among other names.

An autopsy revealed the boy had also been exposed to methamphetamine and cocaine, the television station reported.

Prosecutors allege Marks caused her son’s death by administering those drugs.

Sanchez-Marks died at his grandfather’s residence, according to the medical examiner. An online obituary identified the boy as the accused woman’s son and said the child leaves behind a sister.

According to a report from the Texas Child Protection Services, Sanchez-Marks and his younger sister had been staying with their grandfather for about two months when they became ill with tuberculosis, KPRC reported. Marks visited the home and administered medication to Sanchez-Marks but his sister refused to take it, the CPS report stated.

Over the next two days, the boy became violently ill with vomiting, hallucinations, and insomnia, KPRC reported. Marks showed up twice and gave Jason NyQuil, according to the CPS report. He died a couple of days later.

“We believe it’s her scheme to have her son die in her father’s care,” Gilbert Sawtelle, the Harris County Assistant District Attorney, told KPRC.

Sawtelle said Marks had indicated to investigators that she was not familiar with life insurance, but prosecutors discovered otherwise.

“It turns out she is a licensed insurance agent in the state of Texas,” Sawtelle told KPRC. “She specializes in life insurance...That was a big clue that this was not an accidental death.”

The child’s father, Mario Sanchez, said Jason was a happy boy who loved to dance and play with his toy cars.

“She (Ashley Marks) will pay for what she did to our son,” Sanchez told KTRK. “She was thirsty for money.”

Marks is scheduled to make her first court appearance Monday, the Chronicle reported.