Maries County Circuit Judge William Hickle on Friday sentenced Tracy M. Ellis to 14 years in the Missouri Department of Corrections for the class A felony charge of first degree endangering the welfare of a child. 

Ellis in March entered a guilty plea to the charge. She previously was charged with murder for the March 17, 2019, death of her 14-year-old special needs daughter, Ashlyn Ellis. Ashlyn died home alone in the family’s mobile home, which caught fire. Her burned remains were found by first responders in her bunk bed. The bed was rigged with a locked gate so she could not get out and hurt herself, relatives said at the sentencing hearing last Friday. Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby recommended a sentence of 14 years in the DOC, a year for each of the years Ashlyn had lived.

The hearing was full of emotional testimony by law enforcement, a children’s division worker, Ashlyn’s caretaker, and by Ashlyn’s grandparents from both sides of her family. The burning death of the young girl was said to have “shattered” their family.

Ellis sat quietly at the defendant’s table with her attorney Grant Smith as Judge Hickle sentenced her. Judge Hickle said he was not going to make a decision that day about possible probation for Ellis as he wants to see how she does in prison. He will reevaluate her status after she serves 120 days of shock time. 

The Advocate will have full details about the sentencing hearing in the June 10 edition.