MARIES COUNTY — Maries County Prosecuting Attorney Anthony “Tony” Skouby was adamant at last week’s case review of Tracy M. Ellis, who is charged with second degree murder and child endangerment from the March 17 death of her handicapped teenage daughter, that she not be allowed to have unsupervised contact with her remaining two children.

Ellis was charged three days after her single wide mobile home in the Vichy area burned while her daughter, Ashlyn, was there alone and apparently trapped in her bed. 

At the case review in Maries County Associate Court last week, Skouby told Judge Kerry Rowden that they must be very careful with any direct communication between Ellis and her two children, Connor, 16, and Kameron, 12, who are witnesses in the two felony cases. Skouby said there can be no communication at all about the cases. Judge Rowden assured Skouby he would make the Division of Family Services (DFS) aware of the situation that there be no direct contact between them without supervision by a DFS representative.

Ellis, 43, of Vichy, appeared before the court in street clothes. Judge Rowden told her of Skouby’s insistence of no unsupervised contact between her and the children. Judge Rowden said DFS will set up the visitation if DFS representatives decide it is appropriate. “Do not discuss the case,” Judge Rowden told Ellis. “It may be difficult to do. If the kids bring it up, just step out of the room.”

Ellis had a cash or surety bond set at $100,000, which was posted and she is free on bond. The two remaining children are staying with their father’s parents, Johnny and Janet Ellis.