Fiesel was a very active child, and his mother found it difficult to cope with him, and a neighbor said she occasionally saw Trevino weeping with exhaustion.

On September 29, 2005, police observed severe bruising on Fiesel's left buttock, and the family was also being investigated by child welfare workers who had received complaints of abuse.

In January 2006, Fiesel crawled out of his second-story window and fell off the roof, resulting in a cut to his chin that required stitches.

[6] Fiesel's incinerated remains were discovered on an 88-acre (360,000 m2) estate owned by Mike Cales in Brown County, Ohio.

Police said that Liz and David Carroll had left Fiesel locked in a closet, bound with a blanket and packing tape, while they attended a family reunion in Williamstown, Kentucky on August 4–6, 2006.

[7] This was confirmed by Liz Carroll in testimony before a grand jury on August 28, 2006; she claimed, "I didn't have any intentions of hurting him.

"[8] Fiesel was left without food or water, but authorities believed he was killed by heat rather than dehydration or starvation, as temperatures in the closet may have reached 105–110 °F (41–43 °C).

Amy Baker confessed to helping to dispose of the body in the Ohio River, but charges against her were dropped.

All murder and/or homicide charges were to be prosecuted by Clermont County, since Fiesel's death occurred inside the Carrolls' Union Township home.

[14] Several days later on September 6, 2006, a Clermont County grand jury indicted David Carroll on eight criminal counts.

[citation needed] During closing comments the assistant prosecutor Daniel Breyer said "They say you wouldn't treat a dog like that, and you know what?

After accepting a plea deal, David Carroll pleaded guilty to murder and gross abuse of a corpse.

She waived extradition and defended charges brought against her in Kentucky, which carry a maximum five-year sentence.

[citation needed] On Saturday, April 21, 2007, the chimney which was used to burn Fiesel's remains was demolished and turned into a memorial to him in a peaceful setting.

[citation needed] In Hanlon Park-Georgetown, Ohio, a bench was dedicated to his memory on what would have been his 4th birthday, June 24, 2007.

[citation needed] The case of Fiesel's death has led to many questions over the placement of foster children within the state of Ohio and elsewhere.