In a heartbreaking and deeply disturbing case that has shocked the nation, 39-year-old Drezene Jonkerman has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the cold-blooded murder of her 7-year-old son, Ashwin. The little boy was tragically killed by the very person who was supposed to protect and nurture him — his mother.
According to court testimony, the incident took place on Jonkerman’s birthday. After reportedly using drugs, she was preparing her son for church. While bathing him, she suddenly became overwhelmed with emotion and anger, claiming the boy reminded her too much of his father — a man she says abused her in the past. Overcome by rage, she strangled Ashwin to death.
What followed was even more chilling. After murdering her son, Jonkerman laid his lifeless body on the bed, dressed, and calmly went to church as if nothing had happened. Hours later, she returned home and called a neighbor, pretending to have just discovered her son’s body. But the truth was soon revealed. In court, she confessed to killing her son intentionally, citing unresolved trauma and drug abuse as reasons behind her violent actions.
Despite her admission and the trauma she claimed to suffer, the court remained firm. The presiding judge stated that no personal history of abuse or drug use could excuse or justify the intentional killing of a helpless child. The judge called it a “painful example of how drugs and trauma can destroy families,” adding: “Even with trauma, you don’t kill your child.”
The father of the boy, along with other family members, have been left devastated. They now live with the unimaginable pain of losing Ashwin, a young, innocent soul who had his entire life ahead of him. His death, a result of unresolved personal pain and substance abuse, has sparked renewed conversations about the importance of mental health support, parental accountability, and child protection.
Ashwin’s tragic end is a brutal reminder of the ripple effects of domestic abuse and untreated psychological trauma. It’s also a wake-up call about the dangers of drug use, especially when children are caught in the crossfire.
Public reaction to the case has been one of grief and outrage. Social media has erupted with messages of sorrow and demands for justice under hashtags like #JusticeForAshwin and #ProtectOurChildren. Many are asking how a mother could take the life of her own child — and what more society can do to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.
Ashwin was only 7 years old. He will never grow up, go to school again, or laugh with his siblings — all because he looked like someone his mother hated.
May he rest in peace, and may this case inspire serious conversations about healing, mental health, and protecting children from the traumas of adults.
🕊️ Rest in peace, Ashwin.
🕯️ Let this never happen again.