
Ashley Bertino (Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office).
Ashley Bertino, a 36-year-old mother from upstate New York, sat in a courtroom on Thursday as witnesses testified about the neglect that allegedly led to her 12-year-old daughter’s death.
On April 29, Bertino’s daughter Mya Smith died in her home for reasons unknown at the time. The coroner later ruled that Mya’s death was due to diabetic ketoacidosis, which occurs as a result of untreated diabetes. The category of death was medical neglect, which the Erie County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled was a homicide. Following a monthslong investigation by the Chautauqua County District Attorney’s Office, Bertino was charged with second-degree homicide and arrested on Monday.