Ashley Creighton sentenced after newborn's death

A Seattle mother who gave birth at the Civic motel — operating as a "low barrier homeless shelter" under the co-lead program — pleaded guilty to manslaughter after her newborn lived only five days. Per the autopsy cited in court, the infant had active drugs in her system and signs of malnourishment. Prosecutors said the mother "knew the child's life was in danger and could have saved her," and they pointed to online searches the mother made about 'feeding drug addicted babies' and whether hospitals would contact child protective services as evidence of awareness and neglect.

The defendant, referred to in the report as Kriton and later named Ashley Creighton, told the court she became addicted to fentanyl and apologized: 'I mean very poor choices. And I take ownership of that. And I apologize.' Her defense attorney argued the active drugs caused her terrible decision-making and noted she had been in custody already; they asked the judge to release her. The judge imposed a sentence "around seven years," and the report says "with time served, Ashley Creighton will be eligible for release probably around four years out from now." The transcript also records the mother saying she had been in jail "for the last two years." The birth occurred in May of 2024.

Family statements in court were blunt: mother Malia Zabrowski said, 'I never met my granddaughter. I didn't even know my child was pregnant.' The reporting adds that drugs were "rampant at the facility, including in the room where Kriton gave birth," and that during the infant's five-day life the mother "took care of her own needs" but did not provide for the baby.

Separately, the property owner of the Civic motel is suing the city of Seattle and King County, alleging they failed to supervise residents and that extensive damage resulted from drug activity at the site. The case links public-health, shelter policy (a low-barrier shelter where drugs were allowed), and criminal accountability around parental drug use, child neglect, and manslaughter.