Prosecutors say 15-year-old Heyloe Spanks died of dehydration in August 2025 while under the care of a Reynoldsburg woman.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — A Reynoldsburg caregiver has been charged in the death of a 15-year-old girl with developmental disabilities, months after prosecutors said the teen died from dehydration while receiving respite care in the woman’s home.
Alice Toole, 60, has pleaded not guilty to involuntary manslaughter, patient endangerment and endangering children in the death of Heyloe Spanks, who died Aug. 14, 2025, at age 15. The case has drawn attention because prosecutors say Spanks needed around-the-clock supervision, while family members and local reporters have raised questions about how the caregiver was vetted, whether her work was properly certified and what warning signs may have been missed before the teen’s death.
The charges were filed in early March, about seven months after Spanks died. At a court hearing on Wednesday, prosecutors said the teen was in Toole’s care when she became severely dehydrated. News reports citing the coroner’s findings said Spanks died of dehydration and kidney failure, and that the death was ruled a homicide. Toole, standing before a judge in Franklin County, entered not guilty pleas to all three felony counts. A judge set her bond at $220,000 and ordered that she have no unsupervised contact with minors. Her attorney, Frederick Benton Jr., said in court that Toole had operated the respite home for about five years and argued there was reason to believe the girl may have suffered abuse or neglect before she entered his client’s care.
Public reporting has filled in only part of what happened inside the home. Prosecutors have said Spanks required constant supervision because of her disabilities and medical needs. Family members described her as a child who could not fully speak for herself and depended on adults to protect her. Benton said the condition described by prosecutors developed over time and questioned whether Toole had exclusive control of the teen long enough to be solely responsible. Prosecutors, however, moved ahead with the criminal case after the coroner classified the death as a homicide. As of Tuesday, authorities had not publicly laid out a minute-by-minute account of Spanks’ final hours, had not identified any other potential defendants and had not said whether additional charges could follow. It also remained unclear exactly how long Spanks had been placed with Toole before her death.
The case has also focused attention on the business of respite care, which gives temporary relief to families caring for people with disabilities or complex needs. According to state information cited by local broadcasters, provider agencies and independent providers serving people with developmental disabilities generally must be certified through the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities, while some home-health operations fall under separate health rules. ABC 6 reported that state records did not show Toole holding an active medical license, and prosecutors said in court they could not confirm where she worked or whether she was self-employed. Those details matter because they could help explain what standards applied to the care in the home, whether supervision rules were followed and whether an agency, if one was involved, may face scrutiny of its own. For now, those questions remain open.
Spanks’ death has been felt well beyond the courtroom. Her obituary said she died suddenly on Aug. 14, 2025, and described a girl remembered as a bright presence despite significant challenges. Kimberly Johnson, her godmother, told reporters that families trust caregivers with loved ones who cannot always describe danger or neglect for themselves. Johnson said the most painful question for those close to the teen is whether she felt safe. Franklin County Children Services said it had not previously been involved with the family, but a spokesperson told local media it is standard practice to review suspicious child deaths. Columbus City Schools, where Spanks had attended South High School, declined an interview after consulting legal counsel. Those responses underscored how many institutions touched the teen’s life, even as the public record still offers only fragments of what went wrong.
The legal case is now in its early stage. Toole remains jailed unless bond conditions are met, and no next court date had been publicly scheduled in the reports available Tuesday. Prosecutors still must present their evidence in court, and defense lawyers are expected to challenge both causation and the timeline of care. Investigators may also continue reviewing records tied to the respite arrangement, the coroner’s report and any agency relationship that placed Spanks in the home. For the family, the immediate milestone is the next hearing. For the court, it is the start of a felony case that will test whether prosecutors can prove the caregiver’s conduct directly led to the teen’s death.
Author note: Last updated March 17, 2026.