True Crime with Kimbyr - Part 1: Loving Husband or Cold-Blooded Killer? The Mysterious Death of Ashley Fallis

Episode Date: September 22, 2025

In this gripping episode of True Crime with Kimbyr, Kimbyrleigha dives into the tragic and shocking death of mother of three, Ashley Fallis. Was her devoted husband truly heartbroken, or hiding a far darker truth? Through detailed research and compassionate storytelling, Kimbyrleigha explores the evidence, family accounts, and chilling allegations that turned a grieving home into a crime scene. Was this a tragic accident, or the work of a cold-blooded killer? Join True Crime with Kimbyr as we uncover the heart breaking twists in Ashley Fallis’s story. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new year is supposed to be a time for fresh starts and new things. It's supposed to be about new beginnings. But for one mom of three, it was the end of her life. And all it left was a mystery behind. A lot of unanswered questions. But one of the biggest questions was, who ended Ashley's life? Hi everyone, welcome back to my channel. And if you've never been here before. I am Kimberlea. It's nice to finally meet you. Ashley was born on October 8th of 1983 and at the time her mother Jenna Fox had a three-year-old son named Bryce and at some point Jenna became a single mom. And later when Ashley was three and Bryce was about five, Jenna met a man named Joel Rackadin and she would go on to marry him. And although Jenna brought two children

into the relationship, Joel embraced Ashley and Bryce as if they were his own children. Ashley had an easygoing, fun-loving nature about her from a very young age. And she developed a great sense of humor. She had the brightest blonde hair as a baby and pretty green eyes. She shared a very strong bond with her mother. And as Ashley grew up, she and Jenna became like best friends. They did everything together. Jenna was Ashley's confidant and her biggest supporter. To celebrate her high school graduation, Jenna and Joel actually took Ashley on a vacation to Playa del Carmen in Mexico. And she and her mom actually got up and they would be dancing on tables together and having a lot of fun, soaking up the sun and just

spending quality time together. They were so close that at times Jenna had to create boundaries and reinforce that of course she was Ashley's friend, but she was first and foremost her mother. Ashley also grew very close to Joel. He would take her on father-daughter outings so that they could spend time bonding with one another. And one of their favorite things to do was to go snowboarding together, something that Joel actually taught Ashley how to do. And according to Joel, She was quite the adrenaline junkie after that. And after high school, Ashley actually married her high school sweetheart. And they had two daughters together, Madeline in 2002 and Jolie, three years later in 2005.

However, the relationship between Ashley and their father did not last and their marriage eventually ended. By 2007, Ashley felt that it was time to start dating again. And she turned to the internet like many people do these days. and she had grown into a beautiful, intelligent woman. By now, she dyed her blonde hair dark, and sometimes she would have those light blonde pieces underneath, which was definitely the style back in the early 2000s. But it wasn't just her appearance that stood out.

Ashley was confident. She enjoyed the simple things in life, like eating her favorite dishes, Monaccati and Crembrillet, or sipping on her signature Starbucks order, a grande caramel macchiato, with an extra shot of espresso and extra caramel. But Ashley was also incredibly,

hardworking. She studied hard and she became a respiratory therapist. This was a role that she was quite proud of. And like I said, it was in 2007. When Ashley was 24 years old, she decided to try some online dating. And that is when she connected with 27 year old Tom Fallis on Match.com. Ashley and Tom's first date went so well that before long, they were spending almost all their free time together. Tom was eager to be a part of Ashley's world. And he quickly stepped in to help her care for her young daughters. They were two years old and five at the time. Their relationship moved very fast, maybe faster than either one of them even expected. But about five months into dating, Ashley discovered that she was actually pregnant. And the news prompted a very big decision.

They would move to Greenlee, Colorado, so they could be closer to Tom's family. Now, at the time, Tom had recently quit his job in Denver and found himself struggling to land a new position. But eventually he was hired as a corrections officer with the Weld County Sheriff's Office. Meanwhile, Ashley was determined to keep her career on track and she secured a job as a respiratory therapist at the Northern Colorado Medical Center. It felt like their new life was falling perfectly into place. Not long after Ashley gave birth to their son Blake, the couple's happiness continued to blossom. Tom had planned a romantic proposal over a home-quooked dinner, but Ashley's excitement took over and instead, he had to be.

actually popped the question right in the parking lot of Jared's jewelry store, a spur of the moment gesture that seemed perfectly fitting for their whirlwind romance. Just two weeks after Blake was born, they got married. And by 2010, Tom had officially adopted Jolie and Madeline, whose biological father had actually relinquished his parental rights. Although Ashley's parents, Jenna and Joel, supported her, they worried that everything was happening way too fast. After all, Ashley and Tom had only been together for about a year. Still, Ashley believed Tom was exactly what she and her daughters needed. A steadfast, loving, and committed man. She was convinced that this was her fairy tale ending. She was surrounded by her family, and she was full of love for Tom. Ashley was a type of person

that once her mind was made up, it was nearly impossible to persuade her otherwise. Yet, when her mom cautioned her about having more children at such young age, Ashley chose to listen. Following Blake's birth in March of 2008, she underwent a tubal legation to prevent further pregnancies. In other words, she had her tubes tied. And while this procedure is considered to be permanent, it's done by blocking, cutting, or sealing the fallopian tubes, a reversal can be possible under certain circumstances. But nevertheless, Ashley felt confident in her choice. She believed this was the right decision for her and her family. Ashley's mom's anxiety stemmed from her concern for Ashley's future. She was worried that maybe Ashley and Tom's relationship might not stand the test of time

because remember, Ashley had been married once before and that relationship ended. But Tom was determined to stand by Ashley's side, insisting that he was not going anywhere. Although Tom had always envisioned a big family, he accepted Ashley's decision to stop having children, and he supported her all the way wholeheartedly. And he assured her that his commitment to their family was rock solid, regardless of any challenges they may face. After settling into their new life in Greenlee, the couple soon felt the pressure of outside forces. Ashley's ex-husband started making attempts to gain custody of Julian Madeline. This created a constant undercurrent of stress in their life. And on top of that, their conflicting work schedules began to strain their time together.

This created more and more arguments whenever they were both at home. And by 2009, the tensions had escalated to the point where Ashley actually considered a divorce. And it even had some paperwork drawn up. However, a serious conversation with Tom changed her mind. She realized that despite their disagreements, they still cared deeply about each other. And they hoped that they could have a future together. Ultimately, Ashley decided not to go through with the divorce. She wasn't willing to abandon the relationship that she believed could be saved.

But that same year in 2009, just as Ashley and Tom were recommitting to their marriage, a new challenge emerged, one that would change their family's life forever. Their son Blake had always been a healthy, happy child. And a joke around the family was that he had inherited a big head from his dad. But around Thanksgiving that year, Blake pulled on a string of beads that were hanging from the fireplace and a heavy stocking holder fell and hit him in his head. They were so concerned, but they were trying not to panic. But Ashley and Tom took him to an urgent care center in Greenlee,

only to be told that their CT scanner wasn't available that day. But Ashley wasn't willing to take any risks. They went straight to the North Colorado Medical Center the next morning. And they got a scan that showed there was no bleeding, so that was good news at first. But then a startling discovery was made. Blake was diagnosed with moderate hydrocephalus. And this is a buildup of excess fluid in his brain.

Ashley, who expected everything would be fine, was, of course, devastated. The imaging revealed so much fluid that it was hard to even make out Blake's brain tissue. Doctors at the Children's Hospital in Denver assured them that Blake was stable and just needed regular checkups. But Ashley couldn't shake the feeling that something more was going on. She worked in the medical industry, and she had seen way too many cases where someone did not act fast enough, and it got worse. So she was determined to find answers. Ashley sought a second opinion in Arizona in January of 2010. After thorough testing, they learned that Blake was about a year behind in his neurological development. He would need a series of surgeries in both Denver and Arizona to manage

the excess fluid. At one point, the pressure even led to a fracture in Blake's skull, followed by bouts of vomiting and inconsolable crying. And I cannot even imagine that poor little boy, everything he had to go through at such a young age and ultimately the doctors placed a shunt in his brain to drain the fluid and relieve the pressure now i do not share my personal experiences in these videos that much but this case really hit close to home because in 2013 i personally had a spinal fluid issue and mine was a decrease in the fluid in my brain not an increase but i can tell you right now the pain was excruciating i was unable to sit up for six weeks and i could not walk and I didn't think it was ever going to get better, but thankfully, mine did. But the pain was unbearable. So I can only imagine Blake's suffering and that his was way more severe than mine. Expensive too. The medical bills quickly piled up for Ashley and Tom. And by the end of 2010, the family's medical bills had actually skyrocketed to over a million dollars. That is insane. Navigating the insurance coverage and all their limitations added another layer of stress. And I'm

sure you know that this is an issue that continues to anger many Americans. This has become even more evident after the high-profile murder of Brian Thompson, the United Healthcare CEO. But despite the crushing financial burden, Ashley's main focus remained on Blake's recovery. She even found connections with other parents through the pediatric hydrophilis Foundation, parents who understood the struggle all too well. In an interview with the Greenlee Tribune, Ashley spoke candidly about the challenges her family had faced. She said you never expected to be your child, explaining how the experience gave her a deep empathy for other parents in similar situations. She also opened up about how Blake's ongoing medical issues had actually strained her marriage, both emotionally and

financially. Meanwhile, Ashley's other children, Jolie and Madeline, had felt this shift in focus towards their little brother. And Ashley admitted it wasn't easy ensuring that all of her kids felt equally supported. Still, Ashley and Tom emerged stronger as a couple with Tom saying that I'm so blessed to have Ashley telling the Greenlee Tribune that he said he did try to play the blind card, but Ashley stepped in and said, this is what needs to be done so it doesn't get worse. It wasn't an easy road for any of them, but their resilience and commitment to one another kept them moving forward despite all of these obstacles. As for Blake, there was finally a light at the end of the tunnel. After enduring seven surgeries and many setbacks, including a hernia

caused by his shunt, he began to thrive. Over that past year, he had undergone physical, occupational, and speech therapies, and was now chatting away with his parents and his sisters. In the Greenleet Tribune, Ashley also spoke about her ambition to support other families that were facing the same obstacles. She intended to start a local support group at the Children's Hospital and plan to testify before Congress that fall, and she did that, by the way. She was hoping her family's story could help to better shape awareness and policies. That is definitely something I commend her for that is so brave fighting for herself and other families. Blake's long-term outlook actually looked very good.

Even though he would always need monitoring and care for his hydrocephalus, doctors believed he could still lead a normal life, maybe even play sports. The family affectionately teased him about his big head, calling him, hydro and they felt grateful that they had the resources to pay for his treatments. And that's what Ashley said. That's why I'm glad it's him rather than another child because, you know, Ashley did work at the hospital. She did have some benefits and other families did not. Even though it was very, very expensive, out of this world expensive, which I know so many people can relate to. In 2010, the weight of Blake's diagnosis and the endless medical hurdles began to wear on Ashley and Tom.

while coping with their son's hydrocephalus, Ashley sought mental health care in Greenlee as well, trying to manage the stress that went far beyond those hospital visits. That summer, something unexpected happened. Ashley lost her job as a respiratory therapist at the Northern Colorado Medical Center, and she believed that this termination was unjust, especially given how devoted she was to her family, her son, and his health, while also caring for patients professionally.

refusing to accept the situation quietly, Ashley hired a lawyer, and she sued the medical center for wrongful termination. After a period of legal back and forth, she reached a settlement. Though it was a painful chapter, Ashley's strength was really evident. And before long, she found a new position as a respiratory therapist at the Northern Colorado Rehabilitation Hospital. In the midst of these difficulties, Blake's ongoing care and her professional setbacks, Ashley found herself questioning her husband's faithfulness. She had suspicions that he might be cheating, which led her to confide in someone from her past. Jedediah pepping. He was a brief high school fling from back in 1999.

They stumbled back into each other's lives in the summer of 2011 via Facebook. Oh, it's the story we always hear. Good old Facebook, reconnecting you with your past, even if you don't want it. And their renewed friendship quickly turned into more. The text and emails went back and forth, and then the two of them finally met in person. Jedediah actually came over to Ashley and Tom's home while Tom was away on a trip. In that evening, Ashley did nothing more than talk with Jedediah, but the conversation marked a turning point. She confided in him that she was leaning towards filing for divorce.

Ashley and Jedediah's relationship got more intense, even though there was the looming threat of them being discovered. And for some people, that's the thrill of it. And one night, during one of their meetups in a parking lot, Tom unexpectedly showed up because he had his own suspicions and his turned out to be right. According to Jedediah, Tom's aggressive confrontation rattled him so much that he locked his car doors and rolled up the windows once Ashley got out of the car. But to be fair, this man was there with Tom's wife.

So I think the confrontation was warranted. But still, after this confrontation, Ashley and Jedediah continued to see one another. They even spent a night together at a hotel in Longmont. But shortly afterward, Jedediah noticed a change in Ashley's behavior, describing her as spiraling emotionally, his words. She couldn't shake her own insecurities that Tom was cheating on her, even though she hadn't found any proof and she was actually cheating on him.

But to get him to admit he was cheating, she set up a fake email address under Jedediah's name and sent Tom taunting messages, claiming Ashley had said that Jedediah was better in bed. I wasn't exactly sure what the point of this was, but I'm highlighting it to show that Ashley was definitely dealing with a lot of emotions and wasn't exactly making the best choices at this time. Ashley confided in her mom about her feelings that Tom was having an affair and made several comments about wanting to make him jealous. But Jenna warned her daughter that using, you know, cheating and being with another man,

and revenge sucks, as they say, is not a way to cope with her fears. I think communication would be the best course of action in a case like this. And ultimately, Ashley confessed in her infidelity to Tom and eventually the affair ended. And despite the emotional turmoil that it did bring, Ashley and Tom worked to rebuild their marriage once again. According to Tom, the stress in Ashley's life began to affect her mental health and her well-being. Her moods, which were once very stable, became a very.

erratic and unpredictable. On most days, Tom observed her as being up and constantly restless, fidgeting, being anxious, and unable to unwind. It's like she wasn't able to calm herself, calm her mind or her body. It's like she was racing in all different directions. But her high energy days were then followed by very severe lows. And during the depressive episodes, Ashley's insecurities grew more and more intense. She would question her ability to be a parent, her worth as a wife, her career choices, and her very identity. There were days when even getting out of bed felt impossible for her. And I know that it's easy to judge someone that we don't know or we don't understand,

but by the way this sounds, it seems like Ashley was going through a very difficult time, and I feel really bad for her. Tom was really worried about his wife, and she finally got help, and she was prescribed anti-anxiety medications and some mood stabilizers to manage the frequent panic attacks. but Tom had a growing suspicion that she might not be taking her medications as directed. What he didn't know was that Ashley had been secretly seeing multiple doctors and sometimes doubling up on her prescriptions. She was hoping that the medications would dull these overwhelming emotions that she couldn't escape. Even with the medications, Ashley was still overwhelmed by feelings of failure.

She even wrote a letter to Tom, apologizing for what she saw as her shortcomings. she told him how much internal pain she was enduring and how impossible it felt to keep going. In her own words, she had failed in everything, being a wife, a mother, a professional, and she felt like she simply couldn't handle the weight anymore. Even though she underwent the procedure to have her tube side three years earlier, Ashley had the suspicion in December of 2011 that she was pregnant. Something just felt off. She took a pregnancy test and it confirmed her suspicions. She shared this with Tom and both of them saw it as a renewed sense of hope, despite all of their challenges and their marriage. The prospect of having a new baby offered them a glimpse of something very optimistic for their future.

Ashley was concerned about how her medications were going to affect the fetus. So she made the decision to stop taking all of her prescribed medications including colanzapam, sericquil, and Adderall. These were drugs used to manage her anxiety, her obsessive compulsive disorder, and bipolar tendency. The sudden adjustment to her life without these stabilizing medications added another layer of emotional and physical strain. But Ashley and Tom remained focused on celebrating the new chapter ahead. If you're not aware, going off drugs like this can have severe mental consequences, and it's

usually recommended to only taper off and to do so under the guidance of a medical professional. But Ashley felt confident she knew her body well and that she would be okay. So to ring in the new year in 2012, Ashley and Tom played. planned a simple New Year's Eve gathering at their home, a few close friends, family members, and an assortment of party drinks, including a mini keg, cello shots, and sweet but potent jungle juice. It was supposed to be a relaxing celebration, a way to welcome the New Year, surrounded by those that they loved. In attendance were Ashley's mom, Jenna, her stepdad Joel, her colleague and friend Andrea Morgensen, and Andrea's husband, Derek, Tom's parents, Jim, and Anna, plus various uncles,

aunts and cousins, and of course, three-year-old Blake, five-year-old Jolie, and nine-year-old Madeline, and it was shaping up to be a great time. However, that morning of December 31st, it started on a tense emotional note. Tom heard muffled sobs coming from the bathroom and he found Ashley's sitting on the toilet with tears streaming down her face. She told him that she was bleeding and she believed she had just had a miscarriage. This wasn't the first time this happened to Ashley. during the past nine months, she was convinced on three separate occasions that she was pregnant, only to be certain she had miscarried each time. But whether those beliefs were tied to her previous procedure or another issue remained unclear, meaning they weren't sure whether she actually tested

and was pregnant or if she just had felt pregnant and then went on to get her cycle and then thought it was a miscarriage. But what was certain was that she was very sad and worried. Both Ashley and Tom were. even as they tried to embrace the night of light-hearted festivities. This is quite an emotional rollercoaster for both sides, knowing all Tom knew about Ashley's mental health and all of their present struggles, and of course for Ashley, who was already dealing with it all. Each time this happened, Tom had repeatedly begged Ashley to please go see a doctor. He was worried about whether there was something wrong with the way her procedure was done,

but Ashley wouldn't budge. She insisted she understood her body better than anyone else. In that morning, she broke down and confided in Tom. She told him she regretted getting the procedure three years ago. And through tears, she said she felt pushed into the procedure by her mom. And now she really wanted more children. Tom said he shared her same feelings. He wished they could grow their family.

And they spent most of that morning and afternoon browsing online for reversal options, clinging to the hope that the procedure might be undone. But they had to put their grief and research on pause for them. the party. Once everyone was there, it seemed like they were having a great time. Music was playing, drinks were flowing, and Tom and Ashley even danced together to their wedding song, 18th floor balcony by Blue October. And they did this right in front of everyone. It was a really cute moment for them to share. And it showed the love they had for one another, even after all of these years and what they've gone through. But some could tell that behind the smiles, there was tension

between Tom and Ashley's mother, Jenna. Recall the conversation Tom had with Ashley earlier that day, admitting she felt pressured into getting the procedure done because her mother had insisted she should. And now, Tom was left dealing with the aftermath and all of Ashley's emotions. But Ashley didn't seem distressed or distraught over what happened that morning. She even casually mentioned it to her friend Andrea, kind of almost in passing as they grabbed some jungle juice in the kitchen. Just a quick mentioned that she might have had a miscarriage that morning. But Andrea knew that Ashley had three beautiful children that she absolutely adored and that she was already very grateful for them. So she didn't feel like Ashley was devastated or anything like that. Frustrated, yes, but it didn't seem

that big of a deal the way that Ashley mentioned it. When the clock struck midnight and the ball dropped, the party erupted in hugs, toasts and kisses as people celebrated the start of the new year. Tom's parents, along with Andrea and Derek, left shortly afterward. And when Ashley was saying goodbye, she told Andrea that she should make plans staying out in the future. And she seemed in good spirits. But after this, Tom noticed Ashley coming out of the bedroom wearing her coat. And he asked, where are you going? She said, she was just stepping outside for a smoke.

Now, when he pressed her asking her what she was going to be smoking, Ashley kind of grinned and she was kind of acting a little shy. And she said, I don't know. at that point, Tom knew that Ashley planned on smoking some pot. And he disapproved to this, especially given the circumstances of her just having suffered a miscarriage and the fact that she was off her medication and because both his job and her job did random drug testing. Remember, he worked as a corrections officer and she worked in a medical center. This was another tipping point because it was Ashley's uncle that offered her the pot. and Tom was already frustrated with Ashley's mom, so this compounded it.

He felt like her family had this tendency to encourage her into bad decisions that she would later regret. Plus, in 2012, marijuana was illegal in Colorado. Tom was pissed, to put it lightly, and he yelled at Ashley's family. He even cursed at them and told them to leave his house. Then he stormed into the bedroom and he slammed the door behind him. Ashley seemed pretty unfazed by his outburst. She hugged her parents goodbye, and she kept.

casually mentioned plans to get together for a Super Bowl party that she was throwing the following month. Jenna and Joel, though they were annoyed by Tom's behavior, didn't really think much of it at the time. It wasn't the first time that they clashed and he had gotten angry at them, especially when they had been drinking and under stress. Ashley waved goodbye to her parents, and as Jenna and Joel drove away, they were still processing the tension between them and Tom. So Jenna actually texted her son-in-law and she told him to please come down because her grandchildren were in the house. What Joel and Jenna didn't know at the time was that as they made their way down that street towards home, inside that house, Tom was making a call to 911 at 1250am.

Let's listen to a portion of that call now. What's the address of your emergency? That was really hard. to listen to not just because of how emotional most 911 calls are, but because you can barely make out what Tom is saying. He's screaming, he's sobbing, he's begging Ashley to stay with him. But if you could hear what he was saying, he was reporting that Ashley had inflicted a shot to herself. And there was just absolute desperation in his voice. Tom was begging the dispatcher for help, repeatedly shouting at Ashley to stay alive. And at one point, he put the phone

down to help her. And then their nine-year-old daughter Madeline picked the phone up. The dispatcher calmly instructed the little girl to open the front door to let the police and paramedics inside. And in the background, Tom's voice could be heard pleading with Ashley to hold on saying, no, Ashley, no, you're staying here, you're staying here. We've got a son that needs us. We've got two girls that want us here. And he kept urging her to stay alive for their children. minutes later, police arrived, and Tom was then pulled away from Ashley's body and he was covered in her blood. It covered the left side of his white undershirt. They escorted him outside and he immediately texted his mother asking her to please come back to the house.

So his parents turned around to come back. Meanwhile, Jenna and Joel, who were still on the road, heard sirens and saw flashing lights heading towards Ashley's house. And that's when they got a bad feeling. So they quickly turned around and headed back to our children. house along with Ashley's uncle. When they arrived, they were met with a chaotic scene, and when they saw Tom standing outside and Ashley being taken away on a stretcher into an ambulance, they yelled at Tom saying that they knew he had tried to kill her. At this point, Ashley's mother, her stepdad and her uncle were following the ambulance to the hospital where doctors were going

to work to assess her condition. It was clear that she had suffered a traumatic brain injury, a very severe one, and her prognosis was was not good. Unfortunately, Ashley sustained too much damage, and there was nothing they could do to save her. Her parents were there. They were by her side as she slipped away, and they held her hands saying their final goodbyes. Tom wasn't permitted to be with them and said he was taken to the Evans Police Department for questioning, still in his bloody clothes. Tom was interviewed by Detective Rita Wolfe. And in this interview, Tom was visibly upset. He was tearfully explaining that things had actually been going so well between him and Ashley, despite the struggles that they

had faced. He told Detective Wolf about the events leading up to the tragedy, the miscarriage, the argument over Ashley wanting to smoke pot at their New Year's Eve party, and the tension between them. Tom said that he told Ashley he didn't want her to get high, and she cursed at him and insisted she could do what she wanted. He claimed he just shrugged it off and told her, okay, fine, do what you want. Tom described the moments leading up to the shooting. He said he went into the bedroom to get ready for bed. He was in the bedroom closet changing his clothes when he heard the unmistakable sound of a gun being cocked. He explained that Ashley kept a nine millimeter torus either under her mattress on her side of the bed or at her side table or in her purse.

When he looked out the closet, he saw Ashley crouch low beside the bed on her side and then suddenly he heard a pop. Tom said he saw smoke and then rushed to Ashley's side. He knew right away what happened and he could see that she was wounded in the head. So he grabbed her head attempting to stop the bleeding and tried to check for a pulse. Then he grabbed her phone to call 911. Tom recounted trying to wake Ashley up speaking to her and pleading with her to stay alive, telling her that he was there for her. However, Detective Wolfe and the other officers weren't just there to get Tom's perspective on what happened.

They were there because they had to be sure that he didn't have anything to do with this. They began questioning him on the details of his account, sensing that there might be more to the story than what he was revealing. To get more information out of him, Detective Wolfe told Tom that the officers didn't think the wound in Ashley's head was in a place where she could have done it herself. And this is when he got really angry. He was like bullshit getting right in the detective's face, even slamming his water bottle again and again multiple times on the table. All the while, Detective Wolf is telling him to calm down. even asking him if he's always this upset like is this the way you usually get and he's like you're accusing me of killing my wife here's that interaction now that wound on the back of her head

isn't where she could do it herself tom it is not i mean you can tell by the way he's reacting to this detective accusing him of murder that he is very passionately denying it it's interesting because sometimes if a suspect doesn't show emotion then they're deemed suspicious and then if they do show emotion, whether it's sadness or, in this case, sadness and anger, they're also looked at as suspicious. This is when Detective Wolfe reveals that they got some information from a witness. Her name was Kathy Glover. She was Ashley and Tom's next door neighbor who lived to the right of them, and she had also called 911. And she provided a critical piece of information to police. She revealed that her daughter's friend, Cheryl Arrigo, who lived across the street from Tom and

Ashley had actually called her, claiming she heard disturbing sounds coming from the fellas' home. According to Cheryl, she heard a woman screaming, get off me, get off me. And then a man's voice begging Ashley not to leave him, followed by a loud pop. Wolf then confronted Tom, pressing him about what Cheryl allegedly heard. And Tom denied these accusations, insisting that he was not even near Ashley and nothing like that happened. He mentioned that one of his neighbors had even threatened to harm their dog because it had been barking. So he was like, which neighbor is this, the one that threatened to call the police on our dog and threatened to harm them?

Because that would mean maybe they had something against them. And they were just saying this, just making it up. But as the questioning intensified, Tom became increasingly distressed. He was cursing and, of course, adamantly denying he had anything to do with this and maintaining his innocence. But then there was something else. Detective Wolfe couldn't help but notice scratches on Tom's chest. during this interview. Now I'm going to show you a picture of this. When asked about them, Tom said that he had recently shaved his chest for the very first time and blamed the redness,

the marks and the scratches on irritation and just pulling at his shirt in the stressful moments after Ashley's death. But Wolf wasn't buying it. The scratches to her seemed more like something that Ashley might have left during a struggle for her life. Tom flat out denied it. He insisted, I would never kill the mother of my children, the woman that I wanted to have another baby with. Tom wanted to know what was going on with his wife. He begged to be able to go see her. Hours were going by. And that is when Detective Wolf finally gives him the devastating news that she didn't make it.

And to me, it was so matter of fact. It's like your wife didn't make it. And Tom's world had crumbled. He broke down in tears, his head in his hands, and he kept yelling. She was breathing when I was holding her. She was breathing. Still, the evidence at the scene raised further questions.

Divorce papers were sitting on a dresser. Picture frames appeared to have fallen from the walls. And Tom admitted that he was angry earlier with Ashley's mom, Jenna. And he just resented the way Ashley would keep listening to her. So he went into the bedroom, he slammed the door, which could have made pictures fall or things get rustled about. But he said that was the extent of it. And at the end of this interview, Tom was released without any charges filed against him. Ashley's parents were, of course, distraught.

They were overcome with grief. But they were also pretty stunned when they heard that Tom was insisting that Ashley had done this to herself. It didn't make sense to them. They didn't believe it for a second. In their eyes, there was no doubt about it. Tom was responsible. Jenna told the police that she had seen Ashley just seven minutes before Tom's 911 call. and Ashley had been happily planning a Super Bowl party.

She explained that Ashley and Tom's oldest daughter, Madeline, emailed her after they left, asking her to come back because her parents were fighting. Jenna said she always felt that Tom had a nasty temper going from zero to 100 in no time at all, and she had been worried since day one, that his anger would explode, and that Tom had made every family gathering a nightmare, turning things into fights or screaming matches, and according to Jenna, Tom's job as a corrections officer was a perfect fit for his control. trolling behavior. She said that he loved having the authority over other people. Ashley's stepdad

Joel was equally sure that Tom had shot Ashley, convinced that he'd snapped in a rage after Ashley said she wanted to smoke a joint with her family. To Jenna and Joel, Ashley's death wasn't just a tragedy. It was a murder. As the news of her death spread, it left her friends and family in shock and disbelief. Her friend and coworker Andrea, who had been at that New Year's Eve party, could not make sense of it. Ashley had been so happy just hours before this, dancing with Tom, laughing, having fun with her children, that she knew she loved so much. The idea that Ashley would have chosen to do this to herself didn't sit right with her either, which left only one other possibility that it was Tom.