The Murder of Ashley Mead
Warning, this case discusses murder and dismemberment.
For this case, I watched an episode of On the Case with Paula Zahn. It’s season 20 episode 15, titled ‘A Heartbreaking Discovery.’
A young mother is reported missing by a c0-worker.
Background
Ashley Mead was only 25-years-old at the time of her disappearance. She had a young daughter named Winter Daisy, who was only about 13 months at the time. Ashley loved being around children, and worked as an intern at a preschool in Boulder, Colorado. Ashley was a very reliable worker, and wouldn’t have missed a day of work without notifying someone.
Ashley had been in a relationship with the father of her daughter, a man named Adam Densmore. They had recently split, but were still living together and co-parenting.
Ashley Mead
Ashley with her daughter, Winter Daisy
The Disappearance
On Tuesday, February 14, 2017, a co-worker called the Boulder police around 9:20am, to report Ashley missing.
The Boulder police went to perform a welfare check at Ashley’s apartment. When they arrived, Ashley’s car, a white Volvo, wasn’t there.
Ashley’s front door was unlocked and the lights were left on inside. There were no signs of a struggle. But, Ashley’s cat had been left unattended. It seemed like she had been interrupted as she was cooking dinner. The oven was found open, but off.
Ashley’s drivers license, glasses, purse and cell phone were all found in the apartment. Ashley’s phone had been placed on the banister on the staircase.
On Ashley’s phone, the police found a tread mark from a boot. It seemed like the phone had been stepped on, and then placed on the banister.
Ashley’s family was contacted. They said they knew that something was wrong when they learned that Ashley’s cat had been left behind. They were also concerned that Winter Daisy was also missing.
A New Boyfriend
Ashley’s family told the police that Ashley had been living with her ex-boyfriend, Adam. The police tried to contact Adam, but it went straight to voicemail. Adam’s phone was pinged, but the phone had been turned off.
The police traced Ashley’s last movements. On Sunday, February 12, Ashley had been at Target, and took some selfies in the dressing room. She spent the rest of the day running errands. At 4:40pm, Ashley and Winter Daisy were seen on surveillance footage at Sprouts. That was Ashley’s last transaction on her credit card. A neighbor had seen Ashley outside around 5:30pm taking out the trash. Ashley’s last activity on her cell phone was around 8:40pm. She had been missing for over 48 hours.
While speaking to Ashley’s neighbors, one reported hearing a loud noise just after 9pm on Sunday coming from Ashley’s apartment. The neighbor shared a wall with Ashley, and said the noise sounded like someone falling down the stairs. The neighbor said they never heard any screams, and didn’t hear anything after that loud noise.
The police contacted Adam’s parents in Louisiana. They said they had seen Adam and Winter Daisy. The police were relieved that she was alive. Adam had told his parents that he was going to visit his grandma in Conway, Arkansas. The police pinged Adam’s phone once again. His cell phone pings confirmed that he was going to visit his grandma. Adam had called and texted Ashley’s phone to give her updates on his road trip.
In one message, Adam spoke about Ashley having a new man in her life. The calls and texts were from the night of February 12.
Ashley’s phone records showed that she was dating a man named Harvey. They had met online, talked on a regular basis, but had only been dating a few weeks. Harvey and Ashley had talked on the day she went missing. He was eventually ruled out. He had been with some friends all night on February 12, and actually had to file a police report with a friend because she had lost her purse.
Adam’s Story
The police turned back to Adam, and contacted his grandma. Adam freaked out when his grandma told him to contact police. Adam got back into his car with his daughter, but he did eventually call the police. Adam told the police that he went to visit his family because there had been a “massive fight” between him and Ashley.
The police recorded the phone conversation. Adam confirmed that his daughter was okay, and had been sleeping. Adam confirmed that he and Ashley had gotten into this “massive fight” on Sunday, February 12. He said it was the worst fight they had, and probably would have turned physical had he not left. Adam said he had tried calling Ashley several times on the way to his parent’s house, and panicked when he learned she was missing.
Adam told the police that he was going to drive back to Boulder to speak to them in person. The police wanted to intercept Adam and pull him over before he arrived. They were worried about Winter Daisy, but didn’t have any evidence that Ashley was dead, or that Adam was involved.
The police did eventually pull Adam over. He had taken Winter Daisy on a cross country road trip, but wasn’t listed on the official birth certificate. It was against the law since he didn’t get Ashley’s permission. Adam was arrested by the Oklahoma police.
When he was brought in, Adam refused to speak and asked for an attorney. However, he did answer questions from social services about his daughter. The social worker asked Adam about the fight between him and Ashley. He confessed to slapping her.
Adam’s body was photographed. He was covered in bruises and scratches. The police believed the fight between him and Ashley was much more than a slap.
The Suitcase
The police received a call from Adam’s sister in Louisiana. She said her parents were at work when Adam arrived. She said she was excited to see Adam and the baby, but he was surprised when she arrived at her parent’s home. Adam had been in the middle of cleaning up a mess, and there was a strong odor of bleach. Adam told her that he had vomited all over the bathroom and had cleaned it.
A gas station clerk in Okmulgee, Oklahoma contacted the police. They had discovered a purple suitcase in the dumpster behind the gas station. The clerk was curious about it, and opened it. In the suitcase, was a human torso.
During the autopsy, the medical examiner found a gap toothed sun tattoo. It was confirmed from DNA that it was Ashley’s. The medical examiner was unable to determine what the cause of death was. But, other injuries had been documented. She had abrasions and contusions, and had clearly been in a fight.
A Horrific Crime
The police examined the surveillance footage from the gas station where Ashley’s remains had been found. The white Volvo could be seen pulling up to a dumpster. Adam then drove around the gas station, and into the Walmart parking lot. He walked inside the store with his daughter.
In Louisiana, the police found more evidence in the backyard of Adam’s parent’s home. In a shed, the police found a grill cover with blood inside of it. A reciprocating saw was also located. It had blood and tissue in the blade, which was confirmed to be Ashley’s.
In Ashley’s Volvo, there was a smear of blood found near the carseat. It was also confirmed to be Ashley’s blood. It suggested that she may had been on the floor of the car near her daughter.
The police learned that Adam had built up anger and hatred for Ashley when they found his personal journals. He wrote that he longed to hit someone again. It seemed like Adam was jealous that she began to see other people.
Adam’s shoes were a match to the tread mark on Ashley’s phone. He had been wearing them at the time of his arrest.
The Conviction
Adam pled not guilty. His defense focused on Ashley’s exact cause of death never being determined.
On April 4, 2018, Adam was found guilty of murder, tampering with a corpse, abuse of a corpse, and tampering with evidence. He was sentenced to life plus 12 years.
The rest of Ashley’s remains have never been found. He has also never showed any remorse.
Adam Densmore
FINAL THOUGHTS
THANK GOD this young child was so young when this happened. The fact that a fucking father could kill his ex, place the body near his young daughter, and then dismember her is so sickening. Adam is a dipshit, and thank God for that as well. He was caught on camera, and caught by his sister trying to cover his tracks. I hope he is rotting in prison.
Sources
https://thecinemaholic.com/ashley-meads-murder/
