The biological mother of has spoken out about her anguish following the little girl's horrifying death at the hands of her legal guardians. Eight-year-old Jaylin, from Odessa, Texas, died of dehydration after being forced to jump on a trampoline in 43C heat as a punishment, without being allowed to take any water breaks.

The tragic incident occurred in August 2020, and was ruled a homicide.

This week, her adoptive father49, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter for his part in Jaylin's death, was sentenced to 18 years in His wife was previously found guilty of on May 1, 2023, and handed three life sentences.

The Schwarzs had Jaylin and her younger sister Jayde for nearly four years, during which time mum Alysha Anderton didn't get to see her girls.

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Alysha sadly lost custody of her daughters when she was unable to overcome an addiction issue within a timeframe set by Child Protective Services (CPS).

Jaylin and Jayde were, therefore, moved from their home in Forney, Texas, to Odessa, under the care of Alysha’s stepsister Ashley and her husband Daniel.

At first, Alysha approved of the set-up, but things soon took a turn.

Although Alysha legally had visitation rights, she says the Schwarzs prevented her from ever seeing her children again. Speaking with at the time, Alysha shared: “What upsets me the most is that I never got to see her alive again. When they took them, I never got to say goodbye. So I’ve never had closure for the past four years."

The next time Alysha got to see her eldest daughter, she was in a casket. Alysha recalled: “And then, oh, I still remember it like it was yesterday. The first time I saw her in almost four years she was lying in a casket and that’s not fair. That’s not fair to me. There’s not a day that goes by that I don’t totally break down.”

According to Alysha, she had been working to get her visitation rights back. However, the closure of courts over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the process down. Had she been able to still see Jaylin and Jayde, Alysha believes she could have thought up a way to bring them home.

In a heartbreaking admission, Alysha said: “The most important thing I needed to tell them was that I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry that I didn’t bring you back home like I promised you that I would. And that was so important to me.

"That was the most important thing that I could say to her was that I’m sorry for everything that I have put you through. It’s not fair to her or to her sister – but I hope she knows my heart now, and she knows that I was trying very, very hard to get to them, and I could have saved her.”

Do you have a story to share? Email me at julia.banim@reachplc.com

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