The tragic case of Ashley Reeves
The police pressed Samson Shelton for answers about where Ashley was.
It had been more than twenty-four hours since Ashley had disappeared. Finally, Samson agreed to take the police to the woods where he had left her.
Samson: Can I go show you what happened please? Please? I did the stupidest thing.
Detective: What?
Samson: If I knew I’d have taken her to a hospital… it would have been so obvious. I tied this thing around her neck to make it look like someone choked her out there. I was just getting rid of her, just threw her out, and left.
Detective: What direction is it? Out near where?
Samson: I’d literally have to show you.
A few minutes later, the police found Ashley dumped in the woods.
Detective: Oh, hey, hey, right there…. if I could get some light, please.
She’s breathing. Get EMTs…… I can see your eyes moving with the light Ashley. Can you say anything?….. Ashley? Can you hear me?
Ashley Was Just a Seventeen-Year-Old Teenager
Ashley Reeves was a seventeen-year-old high school student.
She lived with her parents and her younger sister, Casey, in Millstadt, Illinois.
She was also a bright student who was just one year from graduation. Ashley had a boyfriend whom her parents adored. His name was Jeremy, and he was also a high school student.
On April 27th, 2006, Ashley told her parents she had a job interview after school. Afterward, Ashley planned on playing basketball with some friends. Ashley made her way to Jeremy’s locker at school that afternoon.
Jeremy handed Ashley his car keys.
Then Ashley left.
Ashley Didn’t Make It Home That Night
It was around 10 p.m., and Ashely wasn’t home yet. Her curfew was fast approaching. And her parents were getting worried.
So, Ashley’s parents tried to reach Ashley via texts and calls. But Ashley wasn’t responding.
Ashley’s parents then called Ashley’s boyfriend. Jeremy told them that he had last talked to Ashley when he had given her his car keys. Then Ashley’s parents called Ashley’s friends.
But none of her friends could reach Ashley after they had left school. So Ashley’s parents informed the police about Ashley’s disappearance. And the police went out in full search of Ashley that night after Ashley’s parents had informed them about her disappearance.
It didn’t take long for the police to locate Jeremy’s car, which Ashley was driving earlier.
Jeremy’s car was found in Laderman Park, a popular public park with a basketball court. Ashley was known to frequent that park. Even though the police found Jeremy’s car, Ashley was nowhere to be found.
The police spent the night looking for Ashley.
And as the sun rose, the police started suspecting that foul play was involved in Ashley’s disappearance.
Jeremy Was Brought in for Questioning
The first person that the police questioned was Ashley’s boyfriend, Jeremy.
But Jeremy showed real concern for Ashley. And he had a rock-solid alibi. So, the police quickly ruled him out as a suspect. The police then brought in people who knew Ashley. Her friends, her schoolmates, her family members, etc.
The police soon discovered that Ashley had a secret only her close friends knew.
Ashley was involved in two romantic relationships.
One was the public relationship she had with Jeremy. And the other one was a secret relationship that was actually illegal. Ashley was dating an older man who was twenty-six years old, a teacher, and a gym coach.
She used the excuse of going to the park to play basketball to see her second boyfriend.
The basketball excuse was simply a way to hide her forbidden romance.
The Police Interviewed Ashley’s Secret Boyfriend
The police tracked down Ashley’s secret boyfriend and brought him in for questioning.
His name was Samson Shelton. Samson initially denied knowing Ashley. But he finally cracked after twelve hours of questioning.
So what happened to Ashley?
Ashley finished her interview earlier, on April 27th. Then she made her way to Laderman Park to meet up with Samson. Samson and Ashely went inside Samson’s car. The couple got into a huge fight.
Samson told Ashley to get out of the car. But Ashley refused.
So Samson got mad at her.
He lunged across the car’s center console and put Ashley into a chokehold. Then he let go of Ashley. But, Ashley crumpled forward, and she hit the front dashboard. Samson noticed that Ashley was still breathing, but he decided to finish what he had started.
He reached over, and he choked her again.
Then he stuffed her down in front of the passenger seat.
Samson Dumped Ashley in The Woods
Samson drove to another park, Citizens Park. He dragged Ashley’s body out of the car and dumped her deep into the woods.
Samson took the police to the woods, where he had abandoned Ashley’s body after his confession. The police found Ashley’s body after searching for a few minutes.
One of the police officers noticed that Ashley wasn’t dead.
Ashley had been left for dead. She had been out in the woods, in the freezing cold and rain, with a broken neck, for almost thirty hours.
But she was still alive.
Ashley Was Rushed To The Hospital
The paramedics rushed Ashley to the hospital. And she was put into a medically induced coma.
The doctors initially predicted that Ashley’s injuries were too serious, and they didn’t expect her to ever wake up again. But miraculously, Ashley survived.
Ashley relearned how to walk, talk, eat, and drink again. And today, she is thirty-two years old. She is happily married. She has two kids of her own. And she leads a very happy life.
Samson was sentenced to twenty years in prison for attempted murder. And he’s still in prison today.
He will be eligible for parole in 2024.
Sources: voxbliss, Left For dead, Vizaca, mrballen