Twin Falls girl raises money for slain toddler’s headstone

TWIN FALLS, Idaho – The grave site of a 2-year-old boy slain almost a year ago by the woman watching him doesn’t have a headstone.

But someone in town has decided to change that – and she’s only 7.

Kynli Mahnke and the young boy went to the same day care center.

“I was sad he couldn’t have one (headstone),” she said.

So for her first-grade Christmas project at Xavier Charter School, Mahnke decided to raise money to properly honor the child, Ashtyn Roger Lynn.

Lynn was smothered Jan. 12 by 22-year-old Elizabeth Miller.

Miller was charged with second-degree murder and sentenced in late November to 10 years in prison, with two years fixed before she’s eligible for parole.

When the child died his father was in prison, and Miller said in court last month that she made a “bad choice” by using a compression tactic on the restless child.

Lynn’s family has been unable to buy a headstone for the boy, who was buried in Sunset Memorial Park on Kimberly Road.

So Mahnke put jars at businesses around town and raised about half of the $437 needed to buy a headstone.

“Right now we’re only about half way there,” said Mahnke’s mom, Mindy Sauer.

Jars have been filled with a lot of quarters, some $1 bills and a few $5 bills.

About six businesses let Mahnke leave donation jars at their locations, but some gas stations and banks wouldn’t allow it, Sauer said.

That frustrated Mahnke.

“I kind of felt mad,” she said.

She also was upset when one donation jar was stolen, Sauer said.

“She couldn’t believe someone would take the money,” Sauer said.

Lynn’s grandmother, Janet Hochstrasser, had one word for how Mahnke’s effort made her feel: “overwhelmed.”