Opinion ID: 3133296
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Ehrlick’s physical abuse of R.M.

Text: Much of the State’s evidence in this case involved the nature and extent of Ehrlick’s physical and emotional abuse of R.M. Ehrlick’s methods of child discipline—and his related terminology—may charitably be characterized as unconventional. The first was “dead bugging,” where Ehrlick would force R.M. to lay on his back on the floor and raise his arms and legs, keeping them perpendicular to the floor. The second was “the wall,” where Ehrlick would force R.M. to press his face and knees up against a wall while crouching. Third, Ehrlick forced R.M. to maintain “the chair,” where R.M. would place his back against a wall with bent knees and hold 2 As additional evidence that Jenkins and Ehrlick fabricated stories to obstruct the investigation, the State offered testimony from Detective Glen Rawson. Rawson testified that on July 25 at approximately 4:00 a.m., he received a call from Jenkins that Ehrlick had found a package of Jimmy Dean sausage biscuits like the ones they kept in their freezer in the bushes outside their building. Rawson went to the scene. Upon his arrival, Ehrlick emphatically told Rawson that the package in the bushes showed that R.M. had run away and tried to take food with him. However, when Rawson collected the package from the bushes, it was still very cold to the touch. 3 the position as long as possible. Ehrlick also struck R.M. with a board. R.M. often sustained bruising as a result of Ehrlick’s discipline. To hide this bruising from health and welfare workers during their visits to the home, Ehrlick and Jenkins told elaborate lies and hid R.M. in their closet.