Hello Coleen,

It almost sounds like you have jumping worms especially if your soil around those dead plants looks like coffee grounds. They are small at this time of year having only recently emerged from tiny (as small as a poppy seed) egg cocoons left by their predecessors last summer. They are voracious feeders of all things organic in the top layers of the soil which spells trouble for shallow rooted plants whose roots are completely consumed if there are enough of them. They multiply exponentially each year. Since you're in the metro area, it's more likely you may have an infection of them brought in by purchased plants with egg cocoons in their potting soil or in purchased compost or soil if the manufacturer has not known about them and hasn't taken precautions to kill them by subjecting the soil or compost to heat. There is no way we know of for how to remove them once you have them. Here is more information about jumping worms.

If, after reading about them, you feel it's not what you have, feel free to send another question with more information about what you've observed.

Good-luck!