Insurance is meant to protect us in the event of difficult moments, but in Washington it’s what drove a man to kill, according to officials. A report by the Seattle Times says that a jury convicted 40-year-old Joel Zellmer in the death of Ashley McLellan. Ashley was just three years old at the time of her death in 2003. Officials say Zellmer told police he was taking a nap when Ashley, his step-daughter wandered into the backyard and fell into the pool. The girl’s mother was at work when this happened.

An investigation showed that Zellmer’s story wasn’t true. Investigators discovered that Zellmer drowned Ashley so he could get the insurance money from a $200,000 policy taken out on her life just three months earlier. Even more heartbreaking is the discovery that this is not the first time Zellmer preyed on young children with hopes of cashing in on insurance money. Prosecutors say Zellmer focused on luring in single mothers he dated so he could target their children.

According to KOMO, firefighters on the scene of Ashley’s drowning noticed something odd right away. They say Zellmer was calm, mostly dry and did not question Ashley’s condition. “One of the things that I remember thinking when I looked at her was that she wasn’t going to make it. You know, she just had that look of…we weren’t going to be able to revive her,” said Capt. Felicia Beluche to KOMO, one of several firefighters and paramedics who rushed to save Ashley McLellan. “(Zellmer) had, in my opinion, a visible detachment from what was happening.” The trial brought other cases to light where children suffered broken bones, burns and a near-drowning.