To view original article click here
KXLY4 Spokane Coer d’Alene
By: Kyle Simchuk
SPOKANE, Wash. – The boyfriend of Ashley Horning says he called 911 and turned her into police once he learned she was wanted for murder.
“She was a good woman, I’ll tell you that for sure,” said Zachariah Gardner, who dated Horning for several weeks. “Obviously, that’s hard for some people to see right now.”
Horning is accused of shooting and killing her ex-boyfriend’s mother, Christina Powell, Thursday morning in front of a child they shared.
According to court documents, Gardner received a Facebook message from Horning Thursday morning saying she was going to kill herself. He found her sitting on a bench about a mile from the murder scene.
“Long story short, I picked her up because I felt something was off,” Gardner said.
He learned what happened once Horning showed him a news post on Facebook saying she was wanted for murder.
“It was a stressful situation and I said, ‘we’re going to turn you in,’ and then she agreed.”
Gardner drove to the Safeway near Mission and Hamilton and called 911. Police were on scene in less than a minute.
Gardner said Horning was anxious, depressed, and wanted custody of her two children who were staying with their fathers. Both had no contact orders against Horning, but police believe that didn’t stop her from visiting one of their homes.
Horning told police she threw the gun into the Spokane River — it’s unclear where she got it. Her ex-boyfriend, the victim’s son, told police the grey revolver belonged to him, but Gardner also told officers that his revolver was missing — something he wouldn’t comment about during his interview with KXLY.
“Knowing her personally, that wasn’t something that she would normally be capable of, or want to do,” Gardner said.
Horning is in jail on a $1 million bond. She has a criminal record dating back to 2009 which includes domestic violence and a felony from when she was a juvenile.
To view original article click here
Acquaintance of murder suspect says Ashley Horning is ‘mentally unstable’ — (KXLY4 Spokane Coer d’Alene)
By Nikki Torres
SPOKANE, Wash. – A young mother is jailed, accused of a domestic violence attack that left another person dead. The victim was shot to death in an east Spokane home.
The suspect, 25-year-old Ashley Horning, was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby Safeway at Mission and Hamilton about two hours after the shooting. Police believe this was a case of domestic violence.
Although, the victim has not been identified, the suspect did apparently know her or him. Horning has two children. Both girls, both taken away from her and in the custody of their fathers. There was a restraining order that forbid Horning from being at the home on the 2100-block of East Cataldo Avenue.
KXLY4 were able to talk with someone who has a close relationship to the suspect. He asked not to be on-camera. He said Horning’s had mental health problems over the years, but he never thought she would do something like this.
The scene at about 10 a.m. Thursday had several teams of detectives, police officers, and K9 units. They were actively searching the neighborhood for Horning, around the East Cataldo and Crestline.
“She is considered armed and dangerous,” said Officer John O’Brien, Spokane Police Department.
Police said Horning had a restraining order against her, to keep her out of the home she later committed a crime in.
The search had nearby Stevens Elementary on lockdown, until Horning was taken into custody.
Before 11 a.m., police arrested Horning at the Safeway on Mission Avenue. Police said someone called 911 to report where she was.
“She was waiting in the parking lot and she was taken into custody without incident,” Officer O’Brien said.
Soon after her arrest, an acquaintance of Horning’s came to the scene.
“She – I thought to be a good person, but I knew was mentally unstable,” said an acquaintance of Horning.
He heard about the allegations, but he had to see it with his own eyes.
“It makes no sense to me,” said an acquaintance of Horning.
He says horning has had her battles.
“Needed help and was off of her medication,” said an acquaintance of Horning.
But he didn’t think she was capable of killing someone.
“Her talk was all about suicide to herself and not to others,” said an acquaintance of Horning.
The suspect’s acquaintance told KXLY4 she used to live in the house on East Cataldo Avenue.
Now, this person who’s had a close relationship with Horning is left with many questions. The most important – why.
“I have no clue – everything is still fresh and I’ve got to take it as it comes,” said an acquaintance of Horning.
The victim’s identity hasn’t been released yet. Horning was booked on second-degree murder charges. This is a developing story, stay with KXLY4 News for all the details as they become available.